Mikhail Samara, a 27-year-old student killed by an Iron Dome interceptor missile fired at a UAV on Route 4 near Nahariya, became a hero in his death, saving six lives, including that of an baby girl less than a year old. His parents, Nasrat and Yana Samara, made the heart-wrenching decision to donate his organs. "We wish the recipients a speedy recovery and a life filled with joy and health," they said through the National Transplant Center.
Over the weekend, Mikhail's organs were transplanted in a series of life-saving operations. His heart was donated to a 52-year-old man at Rabin Medical Center, his lungs to a 60-year-old man, and his liver to a 65-year-old patient at Sourasky Medical Center. At the same hospital, one of his kidneys was transplanted into a 46-year-old woman, while the second kidney was given to a 48-year-old man at Rabin Medical Center. Remarkably, a liver lobe was transplanted into a seven-month-old baby girl at Schneider Children's Hospital.
Mikhail Samara was studying chemistry in the Czech Republic, where he lived, and had returned to Israel just a few days earlier to visit his family in Kafr Yasif. In the same Hezbollah UAV attack, 14 other people were injured.
"He was a wonderful person. During the days he was back in Israel, we talked, laughed and rejoiced that he was with us," a relative said in paying tribute to Mikhail. "He shared his academic successes and achievements. He was a talented and intelligent student. He told me that after finishing his studies we would have a big celebration. It's hard to recall those words now without crying."
According to the IDF spokesperson, a preliminary investigation revealed that "the incident involved an interceptor that missed its target and hit the ground. As a result of the fall, several civilians were injured. The incident is under investigation."
Prior to the Hezbollah UAV attack, five terrorists were eliminated in an airstrike in southern Lebanon.