The Ilani Family

Gideon Ilani (הי"ד)

Gideon was born in September 1988 in Mitzpe Yericho, one of six to parents
Moshe and Carmela. He studied in the Ohr Torah elementary in Ramot and
then Neve Shmuel yeshiva high. Gideon then went on to the Yeruham hesder
yeshiva combing his yeshiva studies with army service as a combat soldier in the
Paratroopers Brigade.

Shortly after, he met and married Esther and together they had seven children.

Gideon was an extremely gifted and bright student and studied astrophysics.
Over the past six years, he’d studied and was close to receiving his PhD from
Ben Gurion University. In recent months, he’d been taking part in an application
process to be accepted into the Raphael company which develops advanced
weapons systems. On the day that he died, his family received a phone call telling
them that he’d been accepted.

The Ultimate Warrior

Early on Simchat Torah morning, when the ﬁrst reports of mass terrorist
inﬁltrations started emerging, he reported to his reserve unit 2855th battalion
of the 55th brigade. Initially they took part in ﬁerce battles in Kfar Aza taking out
numerous terrorists and saving countless lives. They then went to the north but
then back to Gaza.

On the December 10th Gideon was part of a team providing protection to a vital
route the army was using to move troops into Gaza.

Suddenly a terrorist cell fired an RPG rocket at the team and Gideon absorbed most of the blast, unintentionally saving the lives
of his fellow team members but killing him immediately.

Life After Elisha

Gideon left behind his wife Esti and six children:
Gefen 11, Maayan 10, Noam 8, Hillel 6, David 4, Yael 2 and Ayala, 2 months old,
born four months after her father was killed
and who brings much needed joy and happiness to her mother and family.

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