IDF soldier killed in Hebron shooting

An IDF soldier was killed Sunday after he was shot in the neck near a checkpoint in Hebron's Cave of Patriarchs. He was rushed to the Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem in critical condition but eventually died of his wounds.

An initial estimate suggests he was shot by a Palestinian sniper.

Security forces have set up roadblocks in the area in a bid to capture the shooter. Hebron is under a lock-down.

The shooting is thought to have occurred during a riot in the Cave of Patriarchs area. Security forces at the site were on high alert in light of Sukkot events. Palestinian hurled stones and fired firecrackers at troops who responded with crowd-dispersal means.

  

Security forces are evacuating thousands of visitors from the site. IDF sources said the army is treating the incident as a shooting attack and employing appropriate measures.

On Saturday it was revealed that Sgt. Tomer Hazan, an Israeli soldier, was murdered by Nidal Amar, who had worked with him at a Bat Yam restaurant.

Amar had lured Hazan to his home in the West Bank, murdered him and dumped his body in a well.

He told investigators he had murdered Hazan in order to use the body as a bargaining tool to free his brother, a Tanzim operative held in Israel for involvement in terrorist activity.

Hazan was laid to rest in a Holon cemetery on Sunday afternoon.