An IDF soldier was brutally stabbed to death in the Gush Etzion region of Judea and Samaria overnight Wednesday, in what defense officials described Thursday morning as an extremely unusual and grave terrorist attack.
The soldier was identified as Dvir Sorek, 19, a resident of Ofra. His body was found early Thursday morning near the entrance to Kibbutz Migdal Oz in Gush Etzion, where he was studying.
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A court-issued gag order had been put in place as a large contingent of soldiers, police and the Shin Bet security agents were in the midst of a massive manhunt for the attackers.
"The security forces are in pursuit, in order to capture the despicable terrorist and hold him to account," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said Sorek was a student in a pre-military Jewish seminary program and was neither armed nor in uniform. He said the military was investigating the circumstances of his death.
President Reuven Rivlin offered his condolences and said the security forces were "pursuing the murderers and will not rest until we find them."
"Our prayers this morning are with the family of the murdered soldier and our hearts grieve for the life cut short," Rivlin said. "We fight terrorism without compromise to ensure the security of our people."
Sorek is the son of Israeli journalist Yoav Sorek, formerly of the Makor Rishon newspaper and current editor in chief of the Shiloach Journal for Policy and Thought.
