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‘Joy mixed with sadness’ – Oct. 7th IDF widow gives birth to son

Widow of Major Avraham Hovelashvili gives birth to their son, seven months after his death.

By World Israel News Staff

The widow of an Israeli army officer who was slain on October 7th gave birth to the couple’s second child last week, seven months after his death.

Major Avraham Hovelashvili, sprang into action on the morning of the terror onslaught, driving to the Gaza region. He left behind his wife, Shoshi, and their six-month-old daughter, Romi.

Just two weeks earlier, the couple found out that Shoshi was pregnant for a second time.

Hovelashvili managed to save partygoers at the Nova Music Festival, but was eventually killed there during a firefight with Hamas terrorists.

Last week, Shoshi gave birth to their son, whom she named Imri Avraham.

Following the birth, “[My feelings are] very complicated. Physically I’m fine, but mentally it’s hard. The joy is mixed with sadness,” Shoshi told the Morning News with Niv Raskin.

She said she was glad that her late husband knew she was pregnant, and added that “a week before he was killed, we got to hear the baby’s heartbeat for the first time together.”

Despite not knowing the gender of the fetus, Shoshi said her husband was convinced the child was male and had already chosen the name.

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“He decided that it would be a boy and gave him the name Imri, after my father,” Shoshi said.

“Even before I got pregnant, he decided that the next child would be a boy and gave him that name. I feel that his soul knew what would happen and prepared him…he left me this little last wish, to call him by the name he wanted and chose.”

Shoshi named the baby Imri and added the middle name Avraham, in honor of her late husband.

During the delivery, “I felt him,” she said. “I imagined him standing next to me, holding my hand, supporting and encouraging me.

“I remembered the first birth, which was the best experience of my life, because he was by my side, with me.”