'All light and good': Gilad Arye Boim one of IDF soldiers killed in Gaza friendly fire incident

Staff Sgt. Gilad Arye Boim was named as one of the five IDF soldiers killed in the friendly fire disaster in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, which was cleared for publication on Thursday morning.

Boim, 22, from Karnei Shomron, was a soldier in Battalion 202, Paratroopers Brigade.

His uncle, journalist Kalman Libeskind, described him as a “boy full of light and goodness.”

“Gilad, our beloved nephew, a boy full of light and goodness, a loyal soldier of this good country, was killed for defending our homeland,” Libeskind tweeted. “Am Yisrael Chai.”

He was one of five siblings.

The incident

Karnei Shomron Council head Yehonatan Koznitz sent condolences on behalf of the community. “This is a Zionist, deeply-rooted family, one of the oldest in Karnei Shomron. Gilad’s grandfather, Yehoshua Israeli, was a fighter in the Stern Group (Lehi) who was sentenced to death by the British, but was saved and went on to build a beautiful family. Gilad studied at the Darchei Noam yeshiva high school and the yeshiva in Beit El, after which he was drafted to the IDF,” he said.

Koznitz added that Gilad is the fifth casualty from Karnei Shomron since the start of the war, “with hopes that he will be the last. We are here for the family who paid the greatest price of all.”

The other four soldiers who were killed were:

Captain Roy Beit Yaakov, 22, from Eli, was a combat officer in Battalion 202, Paratroopers Brigade.

Sergeant Daniel Chemu, 20, from Tiberias, was a soldier in Battalion 202, Paratroopers Brigade.

Sergeant Ilan Cohen, 20, from Karmiel, was a soldier in Battalion 202, Paratroopers Brigade.

Staff Sergeant Betzlel David Shashuah, 21, from Tel Aviv, was a soldier in Battalion 202, Paratroopers Brigade.