The IDF announced Friday afternoon, just before the start of Yom Kippur, that Staff Sgt. Ittai Fogel, 22, from the West Bank settlement of Yakir, was killed in combat along the Philadelphi Corridor in southern Gaza.
Fogel, a tank commander in the 401st Brigade's 46th Battalion, is believed to have been struck by an anti-tank missile.
Fogel is survived by his parents and four younger siblings. His cousin Staff Sgt. Elkana Navon was also killed in action during an operation in Jenin in late August. At Navon's funeral, their grandfather, Avri Navon, who now faces the loss of a second grandson, recalled their last conversation: "Before you entered Jenin, I managed to bless you. My heart aches that it was the last time we spoke. A grandfather burying his grandson, parents burying their son—it’s unbearable."
Fogel studied at Nehalim Yeshiva, was a youth leader in Yakir, a counselor in the Bnei Akiva youth movement and volunteered with Lehosheet Yad, a charity supporting and assisting children with cancer and those with complex disabilities. His death marks the second loss for the community of Yakir, following the death of Captain (res.) Gavriel Shani in combat in southern Gaza on January 30.
Yakir Council Chairman Elhanan Shabati expressed the community’s grief: "On the eve of Yom Kippur, our community has suffered its second loss in Israel's battle for survival. We are devastated and will continue to support the family."
Rabbi Aharon Cohen of Yakir added, "Ittai was a true leader, filled with love for Israel, Torah and strength. His life's mission was to do good for the people of Israel and Torah."
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan also paid tribute: "The entire Samaria family mourns the loss of Ittai, one of the finest sons of this land. On the eve of Yom Kippur, we face a tremendous loss that is hard to fathom. Ittai was a man of values, dedicated and caring, always giving of himself."
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