Rotem Yaish, 21, a discharged soldier from Modi'in, was killed on Friday in a motorcycle accident on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand.
He was the eldest of three brothers, and his coffin will probably be brought to Israel later this week.
Nine months ago, Rotem received the President's Medal of Excellence during his military service as a soldier in the Shaked Battalion in the Givati Brigade. He was discharged two months ago and flew with his parents and two sisters for a family vacation.
His uncle Dror eulogized him: "In the past year and a half you have fought in Gaza, how many prayers, how many worries, how afraid we were of these two words – 'Cleared for publication.' Every smallest event, like every family, we waited to hear that you weren't there. You have lost comrades-in-arms, subordinates, commanders. Our dear nephew, you were awarded the President's Medal of Excellence - everything you touched you succeeded in. A real, humble and determined man, a rare pair of words in our world."
* Arutz 7 contributed to this article.
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