Joshua (Josh) Boone, a reserve combat soldier who served hundreds of days during Swords of Iron war, was found dead Sunday night at his home in the southern city of Beersheba.
Although Boone was not on active duty at the time of his death, his family and friends are demanding that he be buried in a military cemetery and formally recognized as a fallen IDF soldier. Ahead of a discussion held Monday in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, several friends said society has a moral obligation to recognize him as an IDF casualty, arguing that his death was a direct result of his military service.
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“As a society, we must recognize him as a fallen IDF soldier, a lone combatant whose death stemmed from his service,” they said.
Capt. (res.) Yanai Kapach, Boone’s former commander during the war, told ynet that he commanded Boone during the most critical moments, in the chaotic early days of the fighting. “He always had my back,” Kapach said. “A pure person who volunteered for every mission and wanted to be part of everything. Highly professional, always focused on protecting others. He was always there — under anti-tank fire, even when units rotated out of the sector, he insisted on staying to fight for the country.”
Kapach said Boone was a trained sniper, well known throughout the area of operations, and achieved significant combat successes. Fellow soldiers estimate he served more than 700 days in reserve duty. “This is an extraordinary story of a man who's entire being was devoted to giving to the people of Israel,” Kapach said. Even after their formal service together ended, the two remained in close contact. Kapach said Boone served as a mentor and guiding figure for groups of lone soldiers, whom he described as seeing Boone as a father figure or older brother.
Boone, who immigrated to Israel from the United States, was a lone soldier during his military service, a term used in Israel for soldiers without immediate family in the country. He initially lived in Jerusalem and recently moved to Beersheba. Kapach recalled that during an early leave rotation, as forces prepared for the possibility of a broader war including the northern front, uncertainty surrounded home leave. Boone approached him and explained that he had no family home to return to and asked that soldiers with families be allowed to go home instead. “That was who he was, that was his worldview,” Kapach said.
Kapach added that Boone struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder linked to his service and had recently been receiving private treatment. He said Boone was found dead near his apartment in Beersheba.
Friends appeared at the Knesset in hopes of influencing an expedited decision on his status. “We are here to ensure Josh is recognized as a fallen IDF soldier as soon as possible, out of respect for the deceased and the urgency of the moment,” they said, adding that his death resulted from the post-traumatic stress he endured.
They said they had launched a petition to raise awareness and push for recognition while it was still possible. “This is about doing a true act of kindness — recognizing, even in part, the remarkable person we lost,” they said.
An IDF review confirmed that Boone served for an extended period in reserve duty but said he was not on active service at the time of his death and therefore is not currently recognized as a fallen soldier. A Defense Ministry review found that Boone had not applied for recognition through the Rehabilitation Department.
First published: 18:38, 01.12.26