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Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul

Missing soldier declared dead, another killed in Gaza on Friday

Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul went missing on Sunday when his APC was hit by an anti-tank missile; Staff Sgt. Guy Levy killed Friday afternoon in Gaza, 14 others wounded in past 24 hours.

An IDF soldier was killed on Friday in the central Gaza Strip, the IDF spokesman said. The IDF named the soldier as Staff Sgt. Guy Levy, 21 from Kfar Vradim, an Armored Corps combat soldier.

 

 

In the last 24 hours, 6 soldiers were moderately wounded and 8 others were lightly wounded in IDF operations in the Gaza Strip, the army spokesman said.

 

Staff Sgt. Guy Levy, killed in the Gaza Strip on Friday (Photo courtesy of Levy family)
Staff Sgt. Guy Levy, killed in the Gaza Strip on Friday (Photo courtesy of Levy family)

 

According to UNRWA, Levy was killed in an incident at midday Friday when Palestinian terrorists mortars and anti-tank missiles from a spot near a UNRWA school, killing Levy and wounding several others.

 

MIA soldier declared dead

Also on Friday, the Chief Military Rabbi Brig.-Gen. Raffi Peretz has declared MIA soldier Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul dead at 2:40pm.

 

Golani Brigade soldier Shaul, 22, was killed in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, July 20, when Palestinian terrorists fired an anti-tank missile at the armored personnel carrier (APC) he was riding in. Six other soldiers were also killed in that incident.

 

But while the bodies of the other six were identified, Shaul went missing. Hamas claimed to have kidnapped him but so far, the Islamist Movement has yet to provide proof to their claims.

 

Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul with IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz.
Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul with IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz.

 

The army said the Chief Military Rabbi considered halacha, medical and other relevant considerations before making the decision.

 

Head of the IDF's Manpower Directorate, Maj.-Gen. Orna Barbivai, Chief Military Rabbi Peretz and the commander of the 366th Reserve Division arrived at the Shaul family home on Friday afternoon to deliver the news.

 

Maj.-Gen. Orna Barbivai arrives at the Shaul family home (Photo: Gil Nechushtan)
Maj.-Gen. Orna Barbivai arrives at the Shaul family home (Photo: Gil Nechushtan)

 

The family was told that the halacha dictates Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul is declared a fallen IDF soldier whose place of burial is unknown. Due to the fact he was declared a soldier whose place of burial is unknown, there will be no funeral and the family is not obligated to sit shiva, the week-long mourning period.

 

A senior Palestinian source involved in the details of the incidents told Ynet that Hamas has been receiving messages from Israel through a third party that it knows Oron Shaul is no longer among the living, and that Hamas only has a body, not a living captive.

 

The Palestinian source estimated that Israel was trying to lower Hamas' expectations that it could get Palestinian prisoners in return for the soldier, similar to the Shalit deal.

 

Hamas refused to give any information on Shaul's condition, saying any information on the soldier will cost Israel.

 


פרסום ראשון: 07.25.14, 17:34
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