Yael Cotal, sister of Sergeant Gadi z”l (20) from Kibbutz Afikim who was killed yesterday in a Hamas ambush in Gaza, spoke about his character, saying “he was a source of inspiration for me. This is such a big loss. A situation I never imagined. We always had the feeling that Gadi knew how to take care of himself. It's true what they say, they really take the best," she said painfully in an interview with Kan Reshet B.
A week ago, Yael and her brother, who are three years apart, celebrated a birthday together: "Two days ago I bought him a bottle of perfume, I was already waiting to give it to him. Yesterday we spoke on the phone around 11:00 PM, hours before the incident. He was funny and joking around as usual."
She described her brother as "a guy with big dreams, who wanted to do meaningful service, start a family and simply do what he loved most.
He was always giving to others, helping. He lived on the Gaza border for some time, even before he enlisted. "He volunteered at Ein Gedi school, where children from Gaza surrounding communities were evacuated after the October 7 massacre. He helped them and supported them. He really wanted to be a father, to have a family. He wasn't in a hurry, but he really loved the idea," she added.