Two U.S. citizens, 24-year-old Max Steinberg and 21-year-old Staff Sgt. Nissim Sean Carmeli, were among the 13 IDF soldiers killed in fighting in the Gaza Strip early Sunday morning. Steinberg, whose family lives in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, was a sharpshooter in the Golani Brigade. His father, Stuart Steinberg, said Max visited Israel for the first time in June 2012 on a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip, which helped him realize where he belonged. After the trip was over, he told his parents that he was planning to return to Israel and join the Israel Defense Forces. Max Steinberg made good on that promise less than six months later, and lived in the southern city of Beersheba. "He was completely dedicated and committed to serving the country of Israel," Stuart Steinberg said. "He was focused, he was clear in what the mission was, and he was dedicated to the work he needed to be doing." Stuart Steinberg last spoke to his son at 4 a.m. (Los Angeles time, 2 p.m. in Israel) Saturday. Max Steinberg called his father to tell him that his group had been injured when two of their tanks collided, and had returned to Israel for treatment. Some soldiers had broken bones, and Max had sprained his back, his father said. "He called me up at 4 a.m. and said he'd be returning to Gaza, back to combat, to be with his friends," Stuart Steinberg said. He said the family was leaving on Monday for Israel, where their son will be buried. Nissim Sean Carmeli, who also served in the Golani Brigade, was the son of Israelis who moved to the U.S. many years ago. His parents, Alon and Dalya, left their home in South Padre Island in Texas on Sunday to travel to Israel to bury their son. Carmeli returned to Israel from the U.S. in 2008 and completed high school in Raanana, where he lived with his two sisters, Gal and Or. Rabbi Asher Hecht of Chabad of the Rio Grande Valley, a friend of the Carmeli family, said Nissim Sean Carmeli had "great energy" and "a kind and gentle soul." The names of five other Golani Brigade soldiers who were killed on Sunday morning have been released for publication. Capt. Tsvi Kaplan, 28, lived in Kibbutz Meirav. During his military career, he served in a number of command roles in the Golani Brigade. He was married and the father of two children, ages 5 and 3. "The people of Israel lost today a patriotic officer, a man of principles, a lover of the land and a special person," Udi Korman, a close friend of Kaplan, said. Staff. Sgt. Oz Mendelovich, 21, lived in Atzmon. He is survived by his parents, as well as a 16-year-old sister and a 13-year-old brother. "Oz was a lovely child, amazing and strong," Mendelovich's mother, Osnat, said. "The last time I talked to him was on Wednesday. I can't believe that was our final conversation." Maj. Tsafrir Baror, 32, lived in Holon. He is survived by his wife, Sivan, and a young daughter. Sivan is also eight months pregnant. "He had his full life ahead of him," a neighbor said. Neighbors of Baror's parents described him as polite and well-mannered. "He was the pride of the neighborhood," one said. "We always knew he would go far." Baror's high school principal said he was a "quiet and modest young man" and an "excellent student and athlete." Staff Sgt. Gilad Yacoby, 21, lived in Kiryat Ono. Family and friends said he was highly motivated to serve in the IDF. In high school, Yacoby studied physics and computers. Yacoby's friends said he loved to sing and play music and that he was a good friend who was always there for them. He is survived by his parents and two sisters, Rotem and Inbar. Staff Sgt. Moshe Malko, 20, lived in Jerusalem. He is survived by his parents and seven siblings.
