Yitzhar Hoffman

Yitzhar was born in 5747 (1987) and grew up in the community of Ofra in the Binyamin region. He was the son of Yona and Leah, the youngest of seven siblings. He was married to Zohar and the father of Be’eri and Harel.

Yitzhar enlisted in 2006 in the Shaldag Unit. He served there as a fighter and as a team commander for seven years. Immediately after his discharge, Yitzhar was appointed as a reserve raid team commander and later as a platoon commander. The platoon achieved significant and impressive accomplishments over the years, and especially during the “Swords of Iron” war.

Yitzhar married Zohar in the summer of 2014 during Operation “Protective Edge,” and for several years they lived in Jerusalem. Yitzhar studied civil engineering and worked as a construction execution engineer on the building of the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. In 2022, Zohar, Yitzhar, and their children moved to live in the community of Ashhar in the Misgav region, out of a desire to be part of a mixed community with diverse human and cultural backgrounds.

Yitzhar was a loving father to his children, a devoted husband, a son who always cared for his parents, a youngest sibling who was also a leader among his brothers and sisters and loved initiating family gatherings, a cool and admired uncle to his nieces and nephews, and the best friend to many people.

Yitzhar loved life. He knew how to make the most of every moment, spending time with family and friends, traveling, attending concerts, going on ski vacations, and celebrating at parties.

Yitzhar was a commander who was highly respected by both his subordinates and his commanders. Wherever he went, he was loved and admired. He was a Zionist leader, principled and determined, with exceptional resourcefulness. Values of unity, generosity, professionalism, and decisive engagement guided him in everything he did.

On October 7, 2023, the morning of Simchat Torah, during the Hamas terrorist attack on the State of Israel that led to the outbreak of the “Swords of Iron” war, Yitzhar gathered regular soldiers from his unit and led them through many hours of fighting in Kibbutz Be’eri and Kissufim. He rescued many civilians and wounded soldiers from within the kibbutz under fire, acting with a sense of national mission, courage, composure, initiative, and relentless engagement. Three weeks after the Black Saturday, Yitzhar and his fighters returned to the residents of Be’eri to ask forgiveness for not having been able to do more and save additional lives.

Yitzhar continued to lead his forces in the fighting in the Gaza Strip. He was among those who led the operation to take control of Shifa Hospital and participated in many additional missions. During one of the operations, he was wounded by gunfire yet continued to fight until the evacuation of a unit of fighters from another force was completed. After several days, he chose to return to the battlefield and continue leading his platoon.

During the war, he decided to return to permanent service and was due to be appointed deputy commander of the Shaldag Unit.

He had been selected as an outstanding soldier at his base even before his death, but did not live to attend the ceremony.

Yitzhar was killed by fire from a terrorist sniper during a mission to locate strategic tunnels of the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip.

He was 36 years old at the time of his death.

Much will still be said about Yitzhar’s actions. May his memory be a blessing.