Thousands gathered Tuesday afternoon to attend the funeral of Sergeant Yosef Yehuda Chirak of Haresha at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem. Chirak fell in battle Monday night during operational activity in the northern Gaza Strip.
Heartbroken mourners surrounded his young wife, Emunah, as she delivered a moving eulogy. The two had been married for just seven months. “I wish you would come now with your huge smile and say that everything was just a joke and how fun it is to come home,” she said tearfully. “It feels like a bad movie that I just want to wake up from. I asked you when you would come back and you told me that only God knows and that you would let me know when you will be returning.”
“You were a messenger for all of us, a messenger for the entire people of Israel to eradicate evil,” she continued. “What a privilege it is that you were given this mission. You are the greatest gift I have ever received in my life. You have a huge heart—everyone loves you the best.”
Yehuda Eliyahu, Emunah’s father and Director General of the Settlement Administration at the Ministry of Defense, issued a strong address to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the funeral. “I met with you only the day before yesterday. Now we have paid a terrible price—we have joined the bereaved families who are bearing a terrible price,” he said.
Eliyahu demanded a resolute response to terrorism, urging the government to intensify military efforts against Hamas. “Wage war with all your might until we eliminate this evil from the world and strike it with all your might,” he stated. “Conquer Gaza completely. Expel every last one of them from there, and settle the land of our ancestors.”
According to preliminary findings from the IDF, Chirak was part of a force operating in northern Gaza to dismantle terrorist infrastructure, including underground tunnel networks. During reconnaissance operations near a tunnel shaft, Chirak was accidentally struck by fire from a nearby IDF unit securing the perimeter. The incident also left two additional soldiers lightly wounded.
The IDF noted that the details remain under investigation and that the family has been briefed with initial findings. The military emphasized that the information is based on an early-stage inquiry.
Sergeant Yosef Yehuda Chirak is remembered as a devoted soldier and cherished soul whose dedication and sacrifice will not be forgotten.