'He enlisted directly into the war and was never afraid'

Amichai Avior, a teacher of fallen Sergeant Eliav Astuker, eulogized him: "Educators should dance at the weddings of their graduates - not eulogize at their funerals."

סמל אליאב אסטיוקאר
סמל אליאב אסטיוקארצילום: באדיבות המשפחה

Amihay Avior, the educator of Sergeant Eliav Astuker, who was killed in action in Gaza yesterday, paid tribute to him in an interview on Kan Reshet Bet on Sunday morning.

"He was an interesting person, a conversationalist," said Avior, adding that throughout his military service, Eliav kept him updated at every stage: "I never heard fear from him, more of a personal fulfillment."

He further mentioned that he would tell his students "to continue and take the legacy of the graduates so that we no longer need to fight wars. Educators should dance at weddings and not eulogize at funerals."

Previously, he shared that Eliav was "a determined and self-assured person, talented and beloved. We started as teacher and student and ended up as friends. He was every teacher's dream," Aviur said.

"Eliav had great joy at every stage he completed. He was proud to be a Nahal soldier, proud to complete traning, and especially proud to fight for the people and the state. May his memory be blessed."

Sergeant Major (res.) Alexander Fedorenko, aged 37 from Bat Yam, who served as a heavy truck driver in the 79th Battalion of the 14th 'Machatz' Brigade, was killed in the same incident. Two other soldiers from Eliav's unit were killed as well, Staff Sergeant Danila Diakov, aged 21, from Ma'ale Adumim and Sergeant Yahav Maayan, aged 19, from Modi'in.

In the past week, 10 IDF soldiers have fallen in combat, and three civilians were murdered in a shooting attack near Kedumim.

The incident occurred this morning at 10:00 AM when terrorists set off an IED near a Nahal Brigade convoy in Beit Hanoun. The IDF is investigating whether terrorists simultaneously fired machine guns at the soldiers.