Nearly six and a half years after the tragic death of Sgt. Amit Ben Yigal, a 21-year-old Golani Brigade reconnaissance fighter killed during an operation in the northern Samaria village of Yabed, a military court unanimously sentenced the terrorist responsible to life in prison Thursday. Following the verdict, his father, Baruch Ben Yigal, shared heartbreaking reflections on the end of the long legal battle and the endless struggle with loss.
In a post on social media, Baruch Ben Yigal summed up the exhausting years of waiting: “That’s it, the journey is over. Six years of waiting, pain, and hope reached the moment of decision today. Today, after six years, the cursed terrorist who murdered my beloved son, Amit (Kalfo) Ben Yigal, a Golani reconnaissance fighter, hero of Israel, was sentenced. Unanimously—life in prison.”
Alongside the sense of mission accomplished and legal closure, the father emphasized the enormous void that remains in his heart: “I sit with myself and feel mixed emotions. On one hand, there’s relief. Justice has spoken, and the person who cut short my son’s life has been sent to prison for life. On the other hand, no sentence, however severe, will bring back my Amit. No day in prison will restore his smile, his hug, his voice, and the dreams that were cruelly cut down when he was only 21.”
Looking ahead, Ben Yigal made clear that his personal struggle is far from over: “For six years I carried this battle in my heart… I learned anew what it means for a father to lose his only son, and what it means to live alongside longing that has no end. The legal journey has ended, but my journey as Amit’s father will never end. I will continue to tell his story, commemorate his heroism, and pass on his light, so that more and more people will know the heroic fighter he was and the special person I had the privilege of being his father.”
He closed with a moving, personal message to his son: “My Amit, my soul, I wish you were here… I love you, miss you with every breath, and carry you with me every day and every step. The legal journey has ended. My love for you, the longing and the promise to continue your path—will last forever. May your memory be blessed, my beloved son. I salute you, Amit (Kalfo) Ben Yigal, Golani reconnaissance fighter, hero of Israel.”
The tragedy occurred in May 2020, when IDF forces were conducting an operation in the village of Yabed in northern Samaria. During the operation, a terrorist threw a heavy rock from a rooftop at the soldiers, struck Amit Ben Yigal, and caused his death. Ben Yigal was 21 when he fell and was the only son of his parents. Since his death, his father has waged a stubborn and determined battle for full justice against the terrorist, which reached its legal conclusion today in the military court.