The IDF spokesperson announced on Sunday that Captain (res.) Eitan Koplovich, 28, from Jerusalem, and Senior Staff Sergeant Major (res.) Elon Waiss, 49, from Psagot, were killed in battle in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday. The soldiers, who served in the 8th Reserve Armored Brigade’s 129th Battalion, were killed in an IED explosion detonated on their tank in Gaza City.
Two other soldiers in the tank were seriously injured. "The soldiers were evacuated to receive medical treatment at a hospital, and their families were informed," according to the IDF Spokesman.
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Captain (res.) Eitan Koplovich and Senior Staff Sergeant Major (res.) Elon Waiss
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Elon Waiss is survivied by his wife, seven children, and a grandchild. The regional council of Binyamin eulogized him in a statement: "Elon volunteered for reserve duty and served since October 7 as an armored soldier. He was an educator and a main pillar of the Psagot community."
The head of the Binyamin Regional Council and Yesha Council Chairman, Israel Gantz, added: "Elon was a beloved neighbor and friend. A pillar of the Psagot community, he built a family with his wife Netta. He was an educator and a distinguished man, he has volunteered in the reserves since Simchat Torah." Gantz added: "In six months he would have turned 50 and continued to fight in the reserves as a young man. Just two weeks ago, his daughter Racheli was married and, in three weeks, his daughter Hodaya is supposed to be married."
"There are no words in this difficult time," Gantz added. "Here in Psagot and in Binyamin, we will remember his legacy. Elon's fall alongside other heroic fighters obligates us to strive for victory they gave their lives for."
Eitan Koplovich grew up in Hoshaya in the Jezreel Valley. He is survived by his wife Yael, their 8-month-old son Boaz, his parents, and five siblings. He enlisted as an armored soldier after studying in the Otniel hesder yeshiva. "He excelled in every course and stage he went through, stood out in leadership, and radiated a silent authority, quietly and calmly. His commanders, students and peers always knew they could rely on him," said his uncle Bentzi Koplovich, a resident of Hoshaya.
After completing his military service, he began studying law at Hebrew University. "He also excelled there, he was accepted everywhere he applied," his uncle added. "Immediately after Havdalah, we were informed he was hit. This is a message that no one expected. Many of our family members are currently on the front lines in the south and north, and Eitan is the best of them."