
Shlomit, the sister of Sergeant major (res.) Avraham Tzvi (Tzvika) Friedman, who was killed in a terror attack in the Jordan Valley on Tuesday morning, eulogized him.
"He was an amazing father and husband. Tzvi was a sensitive, caring and loving guy - he had compassion for everyone. He symbolized all the good in this nation and he wanted us to remember to nurture our togetherness," Shlomit said in a conversation with Galei Zahal.
Uri Glassner, a friend of the family, eulogized Tzvi in an interview with 103FM: "Tzvika was a man of goodness. Wherever he went, he just did good. He volunteered wherever possible, whether it's in the kibbutz or outside the kibbutz. He was dedicated to his family and his wife."
Glassner added that Friedman was "a role model and a good friend" and noted that he will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him.
The incident on Tuesday began inside the guard tower in the installation where 11 soldiers and their commander were. The terrorist was wearing a standard vest and was armed with an M-16 assault rifle and two magazines. He reached the scene on foot, snuck into the installation at night, and surprised the soldiers at dawn, just before 6:00 a.m.
The first soldier who left the tower with gear on him was ambushed right at the entrance to the position by the terrorist, who waited for an additional soldier. At that point, a gun battle ensued at very short range and lasted several minutes. All the soldiers fired at the terrorist from the rooms and the sentry area and the terrorist shot from the entrance to the guard tower. During the gunfight, the terrorist attempted to flee the installation.
After a several-minute gunbattle inside the installation, one of the soldiers threw a grenade which hit the terrorist. He was neutralized and two other soldiers eliminated him. A Hermes UAV tracked the terrorist from the air, but he was eliminated by soldiers on the ground.
In addition to the soldiers who conducted the exchange of fire from inside the post and the rooms, two first response teams were also dispatched to the scene: a reserve force under the command of a platoon commander, and a battalion commander force.
After a few minutes of a gun battle inside the post, one of the soldiers threw a grenade that hit the terrorist. He was neutralized and two other soldiers killed him. A flare UAV also tracked the terrorist from the air, but he was killed by the soldiers on the ground.