First IDF soldier killed on Gaza border since 2014 identified as Aviv Levi
Benjamin Netanyahu said the 21-year-old "fought with determination and heroism against terror" and that "our hearts are with the family"
The Israeli soldier killed on the border with Gaza by sniper fire has been identified as 21-year-old Aviv Levi.
Levi is the first Israeli soldier killed in fighting on the Gaza border since the 2014 Gaza War, known as Operation Protective Edge.
In a statement on Saturday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered condolences to Levi’s family on the death of the IDF Givati Brigade soldier.
“Together with his comrades, Aviv fought with determination and heroism against terror from the Gaza Strip. To our sorrow, this struggle sometimes claims a price that is heavy for us to bear. Our hearts are with the family,” the statement said.
Levi was the oldest of four siblings. His parents and two of his brothers were vacationing in Italy when he was killed, the Times of Israel reported. The family requested no media coverage of the funeral that was scheduled to begin at noon on Sunday.
In response to the sniper fire that killed Levi, Israel responded with two rounds of heavy airstrikes across the Gaza Strip. The first killed four members of Hamas, the terror group that governs Gaza. The second barrage was heavier, striking 68 military targets, including 15 in a headquarters compound in northern Gaza with munitions stores, training sites and command posts, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Hamas announced on Saturday morning that it had agreed to a ceasefire with Israel following the heavy bombardment, after pressure from Egypt and the United Nations, Ynet reported.
Staff Sergeant Aviv Levi, a platoon sergeant in the Givati Brigade, was shot and killed yesterday during operational activity in the southern Gaza Strip. He was 21 years old. pic.twitter.com/9jiDF3lIyF
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 21, 2018
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