Captain Harel Etinger, who fell in battle with the Hezbollah terrorist organization in southern Lebanon last week, was laid to rest at the military cemetery in Eli Sunday morning.

Harel, 23, was the son of Rabbi Ahiad Ettinger, who was murdered in a terrorist attack in Ariel Square in Samaria in 2019.

He leaves behind his mother Tamar and 11 brothers and sisters.

His mother eulogized him: "Harel, my beloved child, my pure and brave child. The Lord kept you from all harm this year. You have come to such a good and right place. The angel of the Lord was not there to stay the knife as with Isaac, and the child is gone. And the heart refuses to accept and the mind refuses to believe that my boy, the hero, the brave one, the one full of valor and strength, is dead. God chose us because He knows that we have the ability to cope and He will give us strength and joy and life.''

"My dear children, I have looked at you over the past three days, and with all the difficulty I have thanked God for what He has given us, for each and every one of us. My Lord, I believe with perfect faith that all is for the best. I return to You the pure soul that You gave us, the child that You entrusted to us. I have tried to raise him with joy and love as best I knew. I beseech you, O Lord, for redemption in mercy, in grace, that we may merit to see You and Your mercy. As the mother of one of Israel's heroes, I would like to instruct the government of Israel and the soldiers to do whatever is necessary to defend Israel.''

His sister added "Harel, my little brother whom I love so much. Forgive me for writing only this. How can one condense a life into a page? My soul is bound to yours. I am waiting for you to come and say 'What's up?.' What a great uncle you were, how you loved to spoil and indulge. If you're going to go, then go all the way. You were a man on a mission, when you wanted something you went for it with all guns blazing, you lived the moment to the full. How much you loved this country, you sang love songs to the country, we laughed but it was in your heart. You said you married the army. The marriage was in Lebanon.''

"You did everything quietly and calmly. You went for what you wanted all the way. Perhaps the doggedness of purpose is your and your father's secret charm. Dad is beaming for you now and you are catching up on lost time up there. I have always loved you, love you and will love you forever", she added.

His comrade, Ido Sapir, eulogized: "From the very first moment we met, I realized that I had met an extraordinary person. A person without ego or a trace of pose. You were always first, the strongest and fastest. Because the head and the heart is what works. Concepts like ego or lie do not exist in your lexicon. On expeditions, in the most stinking sections, you chose to be in the most difficult place. You completed your training course during the war. From the very first moment the whole crew appreciated you, admired you, because you worked harder than anyone else. You were the best all along, making everyone around you better, making them like you."

"There is no one like you in the world. I will keep you close to me for the rest of my life. The whole crew is here with me. We are not leaving. We will always be with your family. I love you more than I could ever think."

Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who had been a neighbor of the family, said at the funeral: "To understand how to raise Harel, one must go to the house where he grew up. We were neighbors with them for many years. That house that is all about self-sacrifice. First and foremost for Torah, and immediately after that for the people of Israel. Rabbi Ahikam was a symbol of self-sacrifice until the attack. The devotion of the parents and the sacrifice of sending their sons. How much love and awe there is in the Ettinger household. How much tenderness and how much bravery. There is nothing that symbolizes our people more than this combination. Heroes who stand by the grave now and weep."

"We make our complex decisions in war with a whole hearted conviction that we have many Harels and their like, brave and resolute. A generation of victory that will straighten our backs. We have mothers who are like Tamar. We have fathers in heaven who pray and work. Tamar, you have the privilege to say for a second time "We will do and we will hear." You have raised your children with devotion. You have sent Harel to his death with those words. They have placed you at the highest place. We will continue the war until full victory. We will restore Israel's honor, we will restore security, and we will continue to build and develop so that we are all worthy of the sacrifices of the generation of victory."

In the name of the IDF, Lt. Col. Omar Soliman eulogized him. "We stand stunned and find it hard to accept the loss. Harel fought a battle of valor and defended his comrades. You joined your father, may his memory be blessed, who charged at terrorists not far from here. You went through a lot to become a competent commander. From the day you enlisted, it was possible to see the sparkle in your eyes and your mission-oriented nature. You always wanted to influence and change things. You have drilled your troops to the limit so that they are ready to the limit."

"You have always gone beyond the call of duty without asking for anything in return. In the last battle I saw all your abilities come to the fore. When you realized that your comrades were in danger you did not hesitate for a moment. You fought like a hero, risking your life to save your comrades. There is no higher accolade. In your flanking maneuver you prevented the terrorists from achieving further gains. You are a role model. We will continue to act against any enemy. At this moment your friends are fighting. We will continue to fight to bring security to the country. We have lost a friend and an amazing fighter. From today on we and the Ettinger family are one family. We will always be by your side. Harel, your footprints will be our lighthouse to continue the way", he added.

Binyamin Regional Council chairman Israel Katz eulogized Harel, saying, "A great grief that is beyond words. Harel fell heroically in the battles for the defense of the people of Israel and joined those holy martyrs, including his father Rabbi Ahiad, who was murdered by terrorists. We send a strong and loving embrace to dear mother Tamar, brothers and sisters, and the entire community of Eli. The enemy will not break our spirit, the people of Israel will fight bravely until victory."