A 33-year-old coronavirus patient died Wednesday morning from complications related to the disease, bringing Israel's total death toll from the illness to 279, said health officials.
Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer said Avishalom Rosilio from Migdal Haemek suffered from a chronic lung disease and needed respiratory assistance even prior to contracting the virus.
He is survived by a wife and one-year-old son. Other members of his family who contracted COVID-19 have recovered from the illness.
Avishlom in the past battled leukemia, while his wife, Lihi, is also in the high-risk group having in the past suffered from Hodgkin lymphoma. The two met four years ago during a trip organized for cancer survivors.
"I'm sure he sees and he hears us," wife Lihi told Ynet. "Although his body went away, his soul will be with us forever, especially with our son celebrating his birthday next week," she added.
"Both of us finished [chemotherapy] treatments on May 21, me 7 years ago, and him 12 years ago."
The father, Itzik, said his son was exposed to radar radiation during his service in the IDF, which in his opinion was the cause of Avishalom's cancer.
“He has been fighting for 13 years to be given the IDF’s Certificate of Disability and the state rejected [his request] time and time again,” said the father. “Instead of the country taking responsibility, I had to care for him all these years. I have given him my soul.”
The father has asked the army for his son to be buried at a military cemetery, but his request was rejected since Avishalom did not pass away while enlisted.
"Because the deceased does not meet the criteria and was a civilian at the time of his death, it is not legally possible for the request to be granted," the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
His funeral is set to take place at 5pm at Migdal Haemek's cemetery.