IDF soldier hit with marble slab dies; Netanyahu vows to bring terrorist to justice

Israeli PM Netanyahu vowed to capture and bring to justice the terrorist who murdered an IDF soldier by throwing a heavy marble object.

By: World Israel News Staff

An IDF soldier who was critically injured Thursday morning during a routine military operation in Ramallah has died of his wounds.

At around 5 a.m. Thursday, a force from the elite Duvdevan Unit entered a neighborhood on the outskirts of Ramallah to arrest a Palestinian terror suspect. During the operation, violent rioting erupted, with different objects being hurled at the troops.

Ronen Lubarsky, 20, was hit in the head with a heavy marble object and taken to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital. He passed away on Saturday. The funeral was set for 2 a.m. Sunday morning at Mt. Herzl military cemetery in the capital.

“We take this incident very seriously. The evil terrorist who injured him does not know day from night. Soon we will have our hands on him – whether he is alive or dead,” Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman declared on Thursday.

Following his death, Liberman said, “I wish to send my condolences to the family in the family of the entire nation of Israel and am closely monitoring the efforts to arrest the terrorist.

“We will bring justice for Ronen,” he vowed.

“Our security forces will get to the terrorist and the State of Israel will bring him to justice,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed.

“I was deeply saddened to receive the news of the death of IDF Sergeant Ronen Lubarsky. Last night I was able to talk to his parents and brothers about his condition, and to send prayers for his recovery. Today however, we are greatly pained to send our sympathies as we share in this great tragedy,” President Reuven Rivlin stated.

“At this difficult time, I want to offer strength also to the wonderful fighters and commanders of his unit, the best of our young men, who go out every night on operations which ensure we are able to carry on our day-to-day lives in safety,” he added. “We feel the pain of the family and of the unit and have them in our hearts. May Ronen’s memory be a blessed.”

Lubarsky was posthumously promoted to Staff Sergeant. “The IDF expresses its heartfelt condolences and will continue to support the family,” an IDF spokesman said on Twitter.

Palestinian terrorRonen Lubarsky