Palmach commander Gidi Eilat passes away at age 91

Gidi Eilat, who commanded the third battalion of the Palmach - the elite underground fighting force of the Haganah - before and after Israel's War of Independence, died in a hospital on Wednesday at the age of 91.

Eilat was one of the founders of the Civil Guard and commanded the northern district in the 70s'. In addition, he held a number of positions in the Kibbutz Movement.

Eilat will be put to rest in his home Kibbutz Beit Alpha at 3 pm local time.