Dalia Navon, the grandmother of Itai Fogel, who fell on the eve of Yom Kippur in the Gaza Strip and Elkana Navon, who fell in Jenin 42 days ago, recounted the moment she heard the knock on the door - for the second time in weeks.
She said in her obituary for her granddaughter Itai, who fell on the Philadelphi route: "We are soon marching to bury in our land another grandson, a magical and perfect child, beautiful-eyed, intelligent, clever. He was very special, a good student, loved to play. Spoke beautifully, grew up around love of family and support." She talked about the special bond between the cousins. "They enlisted at the same time, March 23, Itai's brother also enlisted, I had three children in the army. On Shmini Atzeret, everything turned upside down and changed the army's moves."
She says: "All my grandchildren, especially Elkana and Itai, were determined in their mission, they knew very well where they were going. They knew exactly what they were doing."
She notes Itai's struggle to enter Gaza with a tank and adds that "Elkana wanted so much to enter Gaza because he wanted to find the hostages, 'Look Grandma, everything will be fine, we will fight for our country and our people,' which gives me a point of comfort and pride."
Rabbi Aharon Cohen, the rabbi of Yakir, located in western Samaria, eulogized Fogel in an interview with Radio 103FM, saying: "I got to know Itai from the moment he was born. He's a close friend of my son."
"He would come to dinner on Friday night. He was a gifted, brilliant guy, loved music, was one of the leaders here, a true friend to his friends."