Thousands of mourners were on hand for the levaya of terror victim IDF Major Eliav Gellman HY”D, killed by errant gunfire directed at a terrorist during an stabbing attack at Gush Etzion Junction. As is the custom, Gellman was promoted a rank posthumously, to the rank of major.

The levaya was held in the military cemetery of Kibbutz Kfar Etzion.

The 30-year-old resident of Karmei Tzur was a reserve duty officer, husband and the father of two. His wife is in the late stages of pregnancy with their third child.

Among the speakers at the levaya was Mr. Shalom Sarel, the father of Major Benaya Sarel HY”D, who fell in Operation Protective Edge.

Mr. Sarel is the father of Chaya, who was Eliav’s brother-in-law (married to his brother) expressing his familiarity with the deep pain and sense of loss the family is experiencing once again.

Gellman had pulled his pistol to fire at the terrorist who came up from behind but he was hit by errant IDF fire directed at the terrorist. He arrived in the trauma unit of Shaare Zedek Hospital in critical condition and despite heroic life-saving efforts, it was not meant to be.

Officials in Kibbutz Karmei Tzur released a message that the entire kibbutz family along with the family of Eliav embrace the IDF and the soldiers who in the front line to protect Am Yisrael and there is no anger whatsoever over the unfortunate events in this case.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)