At the home of Sgt. Idan Fooks, 19, from Petah Tikva, who was killed Sunday by an explosive drone in Lebanon, family members struggled to cope with the bitter news — coming in the midst of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah militants.
Fooks’ uncle, Shlomi Ara, told ynet that Idan’s girlfriend, who serves as a surveillance soldier, witnessed his death in real time.
“This morning she saw the incident as a surveillance soldier. She saw the wounded and asked if Idan was there. They told her no, but she had a feeling he was. In hindsight, it turns out she saw her boyfriend — whom she loved so much and who loved her — killed in Lebanon. She is in shock, like all of us.’”
The uncle added: “Idan was very close to his mother. She is shattered now, as if part of her body was taken from her. He was always smiling, with sea-colored eyes that radiated goodness. He had thousands of friends in the city and beyond. He always wanted to help and excelled at everything. He stood out in basic training and in the Armored Corps preparation, and even received his commander’s beret. He didn’t even get to give everything he could to the army.
“Idan knew how to bring people together. He trained in capoeira and was a fan of Hapoel Petah Tikva. He loved going to the gym, especially while preparing for the army. He loved life — he would come home, go straight to his grandparents, then visit other family members and head out to be with friends. He was very close to his four siblings, especially Rani, who is a year younger. There are also Oz and Raz. Raz, who is 9, asked just on Saturday when his brother would come home.”
Ara described the family’s grief: “It feels like a bad dream. It can’t be that he’s not with us. His father said earlier that when Idan last came home, he said he had 30,000 WhatsApp messages from friends and ‘only answered 10,000.’ To receive news like this is unimaginable.”
Idan’s high school homeroom teacher for three years, Ruth Wolf, also spoke to ynet: “I am in complete shock. No teacher wants to receive such news. He was the kind of student every teacher hopes for — so sensitive and respectful, from a home full of values and giving. He loved the country and his friends so much, always smiling with remarkable eyes.
“You couldn’t ignore him, with such a captivating personality. He always expressed himself beautifully in writing and would send me greetings on my birthday and holidays. It’s hard to believe he’s not here. I had hoped to see him last Tuesday at a ceremony, but understood he couldn’t attend. That saddened me because we stayed in touch. He was a wonderful young man.”
Wolf shared a note she gave him upon graduation: “You were a unique presence in the class, full of charisma and presence. A big heart and wisdom seasoned with humor.”