After being shot as Israeli troops left Jenin, IDF commando Chief Sgt. David Yehuda Yitzchak was put to rest at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
Yitzchak, a 23-year-old non-commissioned officer from the Egoz special operations unit, was declared dead at the hospital after being transported there after receiving first aid for a gunshot wound.
He lived in Beit El, an Israeli town in the Binyamin district of Samaria, which is located north of Jerusalem.
He might have been struck by friendly fire, according to the IDF, which is looking into it.
The deceased’s relatives requested that the funeral not be covered by the media.
The ceremony was attended by thousands of people. In the early hours of Monday, the military began a substantial counterterrorism operation in Jenin, which included the entry of sizeable ground forces into the city of Samaria.
The two-day raid involved more than 1,000 IDF soldiers, who were thought to be deployed in Judea and Samaria in the highest number in twenty years.
The military reported on Tuesday that its personnel had detained more than 100 terrorists and killed at least 12 Palestinians, all of whom were terrorists.
Yitzchak was shot while securing the start of the military’s departure in a narrow alleyway.
Prior to the funeral, President Isaac Herzog wrote, “We are pained by the fall of the Egoz commando soldier, Chief Sgt. David Yehuda Yitzchak, of blessed memory.
I offer my condolences to his family, his loved ones, and all the citizens of Beit El on behalf of the State of Israel.
We will remain resolute in our fight against terrorism. The young man was praised by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a devoted combatant.
The premier tweeted, “May his memory be a blessing and remain in our hearts forever.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement, “My heart and thoughts are with the family of the late Chief Sgt. David Yehuda Yitzhak,” and thanked the security forces for their “exemplary performance” during the two-day operation in Jenin.
The leader of the municipal council in Beit El, Shay Alon, expressed his sorrow for Yitzchak as “an Egoz Unit soldier, the eldest son of Moshe and Emuna, and a brother to six brothers and sisters.” Yitzchak’s uncle, Arnon Atzmon, described his nephew as a leader who always accepted responsibilities.
“He is adored by all. I always smiled when I thought of David,” he stated.
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