Thousands mourn IDF soldiers killed in battle

Armored Corps officers Capt. Dmitri Levitas, 26, from, Jerusalem, and Lt. Natan Cohen, 23, from Modiin, were killed Tuesday in the Gaza Strip, bringing the death toll in Operation Protective Edge to 29, the Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday.

Twenty soldiers were wounded on Tuesday, and three of them are in serious condition.

Thirteen soldiers who were killed on Monday and Tuesday in clashes with terrorists in southern Israel and the Gaza Strip were laid to rest Tuesday.

Lt. Col. Dolev Kedar, 38, commander of the Gefen Battalion of the IDF's Bahad 1 officers' training base, who was killed Monday as he and his troops thwarted a terrorist infiltration near Kibbutz Nir Am in southern Israel, was laid to rest in the military cemetery of his hometown, Modiin. Thousands attended the funeral.

"It's not fair that the love of my life loved this country and the military so much, and it's not fair that you always wanted to be the one in the lead," Kedar's wife, Michal, said in her eulogy. "I fell in love with you for your sense of humor and your eyes, which were truly the windows to an endless soul. At least you left me three children, who look just like you and have your eyes and your smile."

Golani Brigade Staff Sgt. Oren Noach, 22, from Hoshaya, in Israel's north, was buried in the community's military cemetery. Noach was killed Sunday in a clash with terrorists in the Gaza Strip neighborhood of Shujaiyya. Hundreds attended his funeral.

"I didn't have the chance to say goodbye to you properly. If only I had known we would never see each other again," Noach's father, Yigal, said in a broken voice over the grave. "You cried and said you loved us, and I cried with you. Did you have a feeling this would be our last conversation? Rest in peace, my beloved son."

Noach is survived by his parents, two brothers and sister.

Golani Brigade Sgt. Shon Mondshine, 19, from Tel Aviv, who was killed in the Shujaiyya incident, was laid to rest in the military plot of the Nahalat Yitzhak Cemetery in Givatayim.

"It is inconceivable to me that you're gone, that you've somehow just faded away," Mondshine's mother cried. "Thank you, for every second I spent with you. I was blessed with a special, smart and beautiful child."

Mondshine is survived by his parents, brother and sister.

Some 10,000 people accompanied Golani Brigade Sgt. Ben-Yitzhak Vanunu, 19, who was killed Sunday in Shujaiyya, to his final resting place in the Ashdod Military Cemetery.

"You asked me to come and get you when the fighting was over," Vanunu's grandfather said over the grave. "I can't do that now, but I promise to visit you every day." His uncle said, "I salute you, my dear nephew. You always have been and always will be a source of pride for all of us."

Golani Brigade Master Sgt. Ohad Shemesh, 27, from Beit Elazari, who was killed in a clash with terrorists in southern Israel Monday, was laid to rest at the Mazkeret Batya Military Cemetery.

"He spent his life helping others, giving back," a family friend said. Another added, "He was a truly exceptional man."

Shemesh is survived by his parents, brother and wife.

"No, please, don't put him in a grave, it's not my son, it can't be," Golani Brigade Staff Sgt. Shahar Taase's mother pleaded with the hundreds of mourners who gathered to pay their respects to her son, who was killed Sunday in Shujaiyya.

"I refuse to talk about you in the past tense. It makes no sense. I feel like I lost my twin brother," Ariel Cohen, one of Taase's closest childhood friends, said over the grave.

Thousands accompanied Nahal Brigade Sgt. 1st Class Oded Ben-Sira, 21, from Nir Etzion, who was killed by enemy fire in Gaza on Monday, to his final resting place in the community's cemetery.

His friends said he was adamant to follow in his brothers' footsteps and join a combat unit, noting he had always aspired to give his all for his country.

Ben-Sira, whose grandparents were among the founders of Nir Etzion, is survived by his patents, three brothers and two sisters.

Paratroopers Brigade Staff Sgt. Evyatar Turgeman, 20, from Beit Shean, who was killed Tuesday in a firefight with terrorists in Gaza, was buried at the Mount Herzl Cemetery in Jerusalem. Hundreds attended his funeral.

"I tried to see Evyatar on Thursday, but we couldn’t get together because we were both sent into Gaza," Turgeman's brother, Yinon, who serves in the Givati Brigade, said. "He was our younger brother and now he will be young forever."

Turgeman is survived by his parents and three brothers.

Gefen Battalion Sgt. Nadav Goldmacher, 23, from Beersheba, who was killed Monday in the Nir Am incident, was laid to rest in the city's military cemetery. Hundreds of people attended the funeral.

"You were born during a war and a war has taken you away from us," his aunt eulogized him. "You had the purest of hearts. We will never forget you."

Golani Brigade Staff Sgt. Tal Yifrah, 21, from Rishon Lezion, killed by enemy fire in Gaza Monday, was laid to rest in his hometown.

"You were the light of my life and now I've lost this light. What am I supposed to do now-" Yifrah's mother, Aviva, wept over his grave.

Chief Warrant Officer Baynesian Kasahun, 39, from Netivot, who served with the Gaza Division's Northern Brigade and was killed in the Nir Am incident, was laid to rest in the military plot of the city's cemetery. Over 2,000 people attended the service.

"How are we supposed to talk about you in the past tense-" his brother-in-law cried over the grave. Netivot Mayor Yehiel Zohar eulogized Kasahun, saying, "He was killed fighting for our home, for our right to live in peace and security. We are forever in his debt."

Kasahun is survived by his wife and three children.

Over 5,000 people accompanied Egoz Reconnaissance Unit Staff Sgt. Jordan Ben Simon, 22, from Ashkelon, who was killed by enemy fire on Monday, to his final resting place in the southern city's military cemetery.

A lone soldier, Ben Simon came to Israel from France to join the IDF. Fearing they would lack the necessary quorum needed for the service, a relative of Ben Simon's urged Israelis via a Facebook post to attend the funeral.

Ashkelon has come under heavy rocket fire over the past few weeks, and both the municipality and the military were required to give a special permit for the mass service, as Homefront Command safety directives have barred mass gatherings in cities within 40 kilometers (24 miles) from Gaza.

Ben Simon's parents and two sisters, who arrived in Israel from France on Tuesday morning for the funeral, were deeply moved by the many people wishing to pay their respects.

Orit, who came to the funeral from central Israel after seeing the Facebook post, said, "I have to be here. The soldiers are all our sons."

Gefen Battalion 2nd Lt. Yuval Haiman, 21, from Efrat, who was killed in the Nir Am incident, was laid to rest at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem. The media refrained from covering the service at the family's request.

Golani Brigade Staff Sgt. Daniel Pomerantz, 20, from Kfar Azar, who was killed in the Shujaiyya incident, will be laid to rest on Wednesday.

His mother, Col. (Res.) Varda Pomerantz, served as head of the IDF's Casualties Department. A family friend said, "She always knew one day she might hear that knock on the door herself."

Golani Brigade Sgt. Max Steinberg, 24, from Beersheba, a recent immigrant originally from Los Angeles, was laid to rest in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

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