Sgt. Major Evyatar Ben Yehuda, 31, was killed overnight when an explosive device detonated during a military operation in the Palestinian village of Tamun in Northern Samaria. A reserve officer from the same unit was seriously wounded in the incident.
Ben Yehuda, from the community of Nitzan, was a reservist serving in Battalion 8211 of the Ephraim Brigade. The wounded officer was evacuated to hospital for medical treatment, and his family has been notified of his condition.
The incident occurred during an operational activity in the Menashe Brigade's area of responsibility.
The IDF just released details about the incident:
The incident occurred shortly after midnight when troops from Reserve Battalion 8211 were conducting a routine patrol in the Palestinian village of Tamun. During the convoy's movement, the battalion commander's "David" vehicle, driven by Ben Yehuda, struck a powerful improvised explosive device. Ben Yehuda was killed in the blast, while the battalion commander sitting beside him was seriously wounded.
The IDF is investigating the incident, focusing on several key aspects including the bomb's detonation mechanism, whether it was deeply buried in the patrol route, and if militants had planted the device shortly before the forces passed through the area.
Ben Yehuda was serving as part of Israel's reserve forces, which have been extensively deployed across multiple fronts since October 2023. The Ephraim Brigade regularly conducts security operations in the northern Judea and Samaria.
The military is expected to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.
According to journalist Itai Blumental, the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Judea and Samaria has escalated significantly over the past two years, causing multiple casualties and fatalities, particularly in the northern Samaria region. Militants have successfully planted explosive devices along military patrol routes, resulting in several attacks on IDF forces.
In a series of recent incidents:
- Early Wednesday morning, an IDF soldier was seriously wounded when his vehicle struck an IED
- Last month, the West Bank Division commander and the Menashe Brigade commander were injured when their vehicle hit an explosive device during an operation in Tulkarm
- Today's fatal incident continues this concerning trend
These attacks demonstrate terrorists' increasing capability to target Israeli forces with roadside bombs, presenting a growing security challenge in the region.
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