IDF Chief of Staff Major General Aviv Kochavi arrived this morning (Monday) at Rambam Hospital in Haifa to visit the two soldiers who were seriously injured in the operation against Hamas terrorists in Samaria over the weekend.
Kochavi spoke with the medical staff and family members of the wounded, and promised that the IDF would stand by them all the way.
"Everything is being done to help them. They have two wonderful and strong families," the chief of staff said as he left Rambam Hospital.
The father of the Duvdevan unit officer who was wounded told of how the family is coping with the difficult news.
"We were at his house on the weekend and on Friday morning they grabbed him to go with the unit. He told us not to go home and that we would see each other soon. When he didn't come back by Saturday morning I texted him: 'You tricked us.' On Sunday at 6:45 AM, the city officer came to our house to announce the terrible news," the father told Channel 12 News.
He added, "We are in a nightmare. It's just a nightmare. I was sitting in front of him today at six in the morning before he went in for surgery. I held his hand and just could not believe it was him. "When I heard from the unit commander in the initial report that he sought contact with the terrorist - it did not surprise us."
The condition of one of the two wounded soldiers improved last night. The other soldier remains in serious condition.
The first soldier woke up and has spoken to his family. The second soldier will undergo further surgeries today.