Avi Har-Lev
Avi Har-LevPersonal album

IDF Lt. Col. (Res.) Dr. Avi Har-Lev, a resident of the Mount Hebron district town of Sansana in Judea, was found dead in the Lahav forest near his home overnight.

Har-Lev had suffered a fatal gunshot wound, and was found in his IDF uniform, following a meeting with his reserve unit last night.

Security forces are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.

The chairman of the Mount Hebron Regional Council, Yochi Dimri, along with the town rabbi of Sansana and members of the emergency response team notified Har-Lev's family Tuesday night.

Har-Lev is survived by his wife, Shulamit, the couple's five children: Ron, Moriya, Lavi, Maor, and Hadar Shira; as well as two grandchildren, his parents, and his brother.

As a medical practitioner, Dr. Har-Lev was a specialist in gynecology and fertility, and served as the administrator of Barziliai Hospital's in vitro fertilization department.

Har-Lev also worked as a medical researcher, publishing more than 45 research papers and contributing to a number of medical books.

"With great pain and shock we received the news of the death of dear Dr. Avi Har-Lev," said Dimri.

"Avi was an outstanding person, a family man: a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. He was known and respected among his friends and thousands of patients to whom he was totally dedicated, to adding life."

"The Har-Lev family is one of the veteran families, one of the founding families of the town of Sansana. Along with his work as director of the in vitro fertilization department, Avi insisted on continuing his reserve duty for many years."

"I call on the security forces to carefully investigate the possibility that this was nationalistic. Lahav forest is a commonly used route for illegal [Palestinian Arab] residents crossing from the Hebron area [over the Green Line], and it is possible that one of them spotted a Lt. Col. in uniform and decided to attack."