Staff at Carmel Medical Center in Haifa expressed deep sorrow upon learning of the death of Capt. Dr. Ori Silvester, who was killed by an explosive FPV drone strike in the Beaufort Ridge area of southern Lebanon. Dr. Silvester was an outstanding medical intern at the hospital and completed his entire internship at Carmel alongside his wife, Dr. Shahar Silvester, who was also regarded as an exceptional intern. In the military, Dr. Silvester served as the battalion physician for the Shaked Battalion of the Givati Brigade.
The incident occurred yesterday at 12:40 p.m., when two explosive drones were launched at a Givati armored vehicle north of the Litani River. Dr. Silvester was killed in the Beaufort area, which the IDF recently recaptured after 26 years.
Earlier today, a suspected aerial target was detected in the area where IDF forces are operating in southern Lebanon, prompting warning sirens in Kiryat Shmona and surrounding communities. The target did not enter Israeli territory and there were no casualties.
Dr. Silvester graduated from the Hadassah School of Medicine in Jerusalem and chose Carmel Medical Center for his internship. During his training, he worked in several departments, including the emergency room and intensive care unit. He spent the longest period of his internship in the Internal Medicine A Department.
Dr. Samir Kasem, head of the department, said: "Dr. Ori was an excellent intern — dedicated, intelligent and possessing an impressive knowledge of internal medicine."
Kasem added: "He integrated into the department in an exceptional way and was beloved by the entire staff. His compassionate approach toward patients and their families, and his role within the department team, reflected a wonderful physician who loved people and loved life. The department received the devastating news with immense pain and endless sorrow."
Dr. Sharon Kama, deputy director of Carmel Medical Center, noted that in every evaluation Dr. Silvester received at the end of his departmental rotations, physicians described him as "a curious person and doctor, with a generous heart, strong motivation and extraordinary compassion." She added: "We share in the grief of Dr. Ori's family and embrace them in their profound mourning on behalf of the entire Carmel family."
In a poignant post written on his most recent birthday, Oct. 15, Dr. Silvester reflected on the impact of the war:
"Two years ago, a week after the outbreak of the war, I 'celebrated' my birthday. Alongside that small, personal joy came a burden that has accompanied every moment of happiness since. The stories of horror and the accumulating bereavement disrupted the normal balance between good and bad in life and affected our ability to experience emotions the way we once did.
"Since then, it has felt to me as though every joy has been stained by sadness, and even sadness itself has been overshadowed by the immense and terrible grief.
"Now, after two years, the heart can finally go on a diet, and there is a real reason to celebrate. Beyond the tremendous happiness of seeing so many loved ones return to their families and the hope that the circle of bereavement will stop growing, I hope this moment marks the beginning of healing for everyone.
"I hope we can recalibrate our emotions, to feel happiness without immediately thinking about the privilege of being able to experience it. I hope the grim prophecy in the line 'Someone sang it before' from A Song After a War proves false, and that after an unprecedented war, we will break the cycle of wars in Israel and enter a period of peace and prosperity with no expiration date."