‘Courageous warrior’ – IDF solider killed by sniper in Gaza

Stav Halfon, remembered as kind and determined, was the fourth Israeli soldier killed in Gaza this week.

By World Israel News Staff

A 20-year-old Israeli soldier was killed by sniper fire in Khan Younes, in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, the IDF announced in a statement.

The solider was named as Staff Sgt. Stav Halfon, from the Tel Aviv suburb of Petach Tivkah.

Halfon served in the 603rd Combat Engineering Battalion, and was the fourth IDF soldier killed in the Strip this week.

The municipality of his hometown Petach Tikvah released a statement eulogizing Halfon, calling him a “courageous warrior” who “fought bravely for all of us.”

The statement added that the city shares in the grief of Halfon’s family and friends.

“He was a good boy — quiet, kind, and full of soul. There wasn’t a single person in his class or grade who didn’t love him,” Malki Havshush, who taught Halfon during his high school years, told Hebrew-language outlet Ynet.

“Whatever Stav put his mind to, he pursued with determination. Whether it was his studies or, later, his deep desire to serve meaningfully in the army. Things didn’t always come easily for him, but he never gave up. He wanted it, he fought for it, he worked hard, and he gave it everything he had,” she continued.

Halfon had “incredible mental strength,” Havshush added. “I spoke with students, and everyone mentioned the same thing: his willpower, his kindness. He was truly loved. They always take the best from us.”

Staff. Sgt. Neve Leshem, 20, and reservist Captain Tal Moshovitz, 28, were also killed this week during fighting in Khan Younes.

According to an initial IDF probe, Leshem and Moshovitz were killed by a roadside bomb on Monday, which detonated as they drove in an armored vehicle with other soldiers.

Beyond killing Leshem and Moshovitz, the incident saw 10 soldiers wounded, four of them seriously.