IDF hunt for Palestinian murderer sparks riots

IDF continued with its manhunt for the terrorists who murdered Staff Sergeant Ronen Lubarsky.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

IDF forces conducted a broad operation in the Al-Am’ari Camp, west of Ramallah, on Monday, apparently in an attempt to arrest the terrorist who murdered IDF Staff Sergeant Ronen Lubarsky.

IDF forces conducted a house-to-house search, during which it encountered rioting by local Palestinians who threw rocks and firebombs at them. The IDF responded with crowd dispersal means.

Thirteen Palestinians were reportedly lightly wounded in the violent clashes. There were no reports of Israeli casualties.

Ahmad Beitawi, director of Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah, told the official Palestinian WAFA news agency in a telephone interview that the 13 Palestinians were brought to the hospital with injuries to the limbs.

The IDF forces did not locate Lubarsky’s murderer, while several terror suspects were apprehended.

Palestinian sources said that at least nine people were detained before the Israeli forces left the camp three hours later.

Lubarsky, 20, a combat soldier from the elite Duvdevan Commando Unit, was severely injured on Thursday during operational activity in the Al-Am’ari Camp when a Palestinian dropped a heavy marble slab on him from a rooftop.

The goal of the operation was to apprehend a squad of Palestinian terrorists involved in recent shooting attacks in the area.

Lubarsky was posthumously promoted to Staff Sergeant. He was the first member of the Duvdevan unit to be killed in action while encountering terrorists.

He was buried at the Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem late Saturday night.

After Lubarsky was injured, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman stated that “contemptible terrorist will not know day or night. It will not be long before we place our hand on him, live or dead.”