Families and friends remember tank crew kill

Staff Sgt. Uri Lamed, 20, Tel Mond

Staff Sgt. Uri Lamed

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)

Lamed left behind an older sister and two younger brothers. A graduate of Rabin High School and an active member of the Tel Mond Scouts, he was known as generous, sensitive and polite. His teacher, Assi Mundstein, said, “He was a quiet fighter in class just as he was in the army. I never heard him raise his voice, even though his friends were pranksters. He was the balancing force.”

Tel Mond council head Lin Kaplan said the town would honor Lamed during his funeral procession. “With deep sorrow and a heavy heart, the Tel Mond community bows its head at the news of Staff Sgt. Uri Lamed’s death. He was born, raised and educated here. We grieve with his family and embrace them in this difficult time,” she said.

Sgt. Gadi Cotal, 20, Kibbutz Afikim

Sgt. Gadi Cotal

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)

Cotal had celebrated his 20th birthday just nine days before the attack. He grew up in the Jordan Valley and was the third soldier from his high school class to be killed. He is survived by his parents, an older brother and two younger sisters. His mother, Andrea, recalled their final conversation. “He told us he was leaving Gaza because there had been a malfunction in the tank. We were relieved and told him to take his time fixing it. But the next day at 6 a.m., the disaster happened,” she said.

Cotal’s family described him as passionate about music, sports and martial arts, and devoted to children. Before his draft, he volunteered with evacuees from southern kibbutzim and became close with one family who “adopted” him. His older brother, Sami, said, “Everything he loved, he gave his heart and soul to.” Cotal had planned to continue as a tank commander and later live in southern Israel to strengthen border communities.

Sgt. Amit Arye Regev, 19, Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut

Sgt. Amit Arye Regev

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)

Regev is survived by his parents, Yonatan and Yael, and three siblings. His family said his eyes were “always full of love and joy,” and described him as intelligent, empathetic and devoted to sports, particularly Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer and basketball. He maintained a season ticket even during his military service. “He was sharp, committed and funny, with a sense of humor that could make anyone laugh at the most unexpected times,” his family said.

Though he had dreamed of becoming a paratrooper like his father, Regev chose the armored corps, following in the footsteps of his grandfather. Modi’in Mayor Haim Bibas said, “He was a beloved son of the city. His loss is deeply felt.”

Lt. Matan Abramovitz, 21, Ganei Tikva

Lt. Matan Abramovitz

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)

Abramovitz, an officer in the 52nd Battalion, was remembered as witty, modest and caring. A graduate of Meitar High School, where he studied computer science and chemistry, teachers described him as a natural leader. “More than once he saved classroom discussions by stepping in with thoughtful arguments,” the school said. “On a desert trip when a bus broke down at night in the Negev, Abramovitz was one of the first to help with equipment and passengers.”

The Ganei Tikva municipality said Abramovitz’s values, kindness and willingness to help defined him as both a commander and a person.

According to the IDF, four Hamas terrorists launched the assault at around 6 a.m. near an outpost between Jabaliya and the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood on the northern edge of Gaza City. The attackers hurled an explosive device into a tank at the entrance, setting it ablaze and killing the entire crew inside. They also opened fire on the tank commander. Soldiers returned fire, killing at least one attacker, while others apparently escaped.

The outpost was manned jointly by infantry from the Nahal Brigade’s 50th Battalion and tanks from the 401st Armored Brigade. Soldiers were on dawn alert, having returned less than an hour earlier from a night raid. The army said one Nahal infantryman was moderately wounded. Troops combed the area to ensure no additional explosives were planted and to locate the bodies of the assailants. A preliminary investigation indicated there was no attempt to abduct soldiers, though commanders were examining whether the terrorists had infiltrated through an undiscovered tunnel.

The four soldiers were laid to rest Monday and Tuesday, their funerals drawing mourners from across Israel.