The IDF announced that two soldiers were killed yesterday in two separate incidents in the Gaza Strip. Sgt Yair Avitan, 20 years old from Ra’anana, a fighter in the 890th Battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade, was killed by sniper fire in Shaja’iya in the northern Gaza Strip. Major in the reserves Dear Shmuel Teitelbaum21 years old from Ma’ale Adumim, a fighter in the 77th Battalion in the 7th Brigade, was killed in an encounter with terrorists, also in Sheja’ia.
Avitan is the eldest son of Einat, a confectioner, and Maimon, a lawyer, and he has three brothers – Michal, Itamar and Naama. He is the grandson of Judith and Aharon Mintz and Rosa and Rabbi Shimon Avitan. He studied at Mithir School in Ra’anana. His cousin Harel wrote that he was “ambitious and pleasant-mannered, who loved the country and served with great pride.” His funeral will take place tonight at the military cemetery in Ra’anana.
Teitelbaum, the son of Yehuda and Marcy, studied at the Amit Eitan school in Maale Adumim and graduated from Derech Perat Preparatory School in Kibbutz Sofa, named after Hadar Goldin. Daniel Barry, the principal of the high school where he studied, said that Yakir was a “powerful and humble student, who was loved by his friends and his teachers.” His educator, Eitan Tsarum, added: “An outstanding student who loved to study and deepen. A boy who did not make any concessions to himself.” About two weeks ago, an educator from the school, Rabbi Elon Weiss, was killed in the fighting.
The army also reported that two soldiers were seriously injured yesterday in Shejaiya. A fighter from the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade was seriously injured in an encounter with terrorists, and a fighter officer from the Rotem Battalion of the Givati Brigade was injured by an anti-tank missile.
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