JERUSALEM: A Palestinian kidnapped and murdered an Israeli soldier hoping to exchange the body for his brother, jailed in the Jewish state since 2003, officials said yesterday.
An army spokesman said the soldier “was kidnapped and killed by a Palestinian near Qalqiliya yesterday (Friday) and his body was found” yesterday morning. The army identified the soldier as Tomer Hazan, 20.
Witnesses said his body was evacuated by helicopter, following an overnight search. Hazan was in the army but on a weekend pass and knew the Palestinian, having worked with him at a restaurant south of Tel Aviv, the Shin Bet security agency said.
Shin Bet said it arrested the Palestinian suspect, 42-year-old Nidal Amer, at his family home in Beit Amin south of Qalqiliya, and that he had confessed to killing the soldier.
The suspect said he had abducted and killed him in the hope that he could “trade the body in exchange for the release” of one of his brothers who has been jailed by Israel since 2003 in connection with several attacks, Shin Bet said in a statement.
“An investigation is under way and is expected to lead to the arrest of other individuals who took part in the incident,” Shin Bet said. AFP
