Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz on Monday approved the awarding of citations and special commendations to 53 soldiers and officers and 13 units with medals and special citations for their service during Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip last summer. Givati Brigade Lt. Eitan Fund, who led the attempt to prevent the abduction of 2nd Lt. Hadar Goldin by Hamas terrorists in a battle near Rafah, was named the recipient of the Medal of Distinguished Service, the highest honor awarded in wake of the Gaza campaign and the military's third most important medal after the Medal of Valor and Medal of Courage. The military plans to give out four chief of staff citations of merit, three chief of staff commendations, 23 major general citations of merit, 15 brigade commander citations of merit, and 17 division commander citations of merit. Duvdevan commando unit Master Sgt. Omri, Nahal Brigade Staff Sgt. (res.) Yogev Ofir, Givati Brigade Sgt. Sahar Elbaz, and Sgt. Yehuda Vishlitzky, will be awarded the Chief of Staff Citation. The commendations ceremony has been scheduled for Feb. 2. Operation Protective Edge campaign ribbons will be awarded during the ceremony as well, for the first time. "Lt. Fund entered a terror tunnel equipped only with a gun and with no protective gear. His actions obtained evidence that assisted in establishing 2nd Lt. Goldin's death," the military committee which determined the commendations noted in its brief. Lt. Shaked Kedar, 2nd Lt. Matan Horesh and Staff Sgt. Chalachew Mekonen, who followed Fund into the tunnel were named the recipients of the GOC Southern Command citation of merit. Lt. Shlomo Kadosh, who was with another force that entered the tunnel in search of Goldin, will be awarded a division commander citation of merit. Capt. Aviran Alfasi and Sgt. Yehiel Dan, who also entered the tunnel, will receive the Givati Brigade commander's citations of merit. Egoz Reconnaissance Unit Maj. Efraim Tehila also stands to receive a brigade commander's citation of merit. This will be Tehila's second commendation, as he was awarded a similar one for his service during 2008's Operation Cast Lead in Gaza. Lt. Col. Dolev Kedar, 38, commander of the Gefen Battalion of the IDF's Bahad 1 officers training base, who was killed when as he and his troops thwarted a terrorist infiltration near Kibbutz Nir Am in southern Israel, is to be posthumously honored with a special citation of merit.
Four women were also recognized for their service: Dr. Regina Pikman, serving with the Combat Engineering Corps, will receive a brigade commander's citation of merit, while three other soldiers, who in separate incidents identified terrorist cells attempting to infiltrate communities near the Israel-Gaza Strip border, will receive letters of appreciation.
