“Haaretz”: Family of “Israeli” Soldier Killed in Lebanon to Leave “Israeli” Entity

By Staff, Agencies

The family of an “Israeli” soldier killed in a Hezbollah ambush in southern Lebanon in November 2024 has decided to leave “Israel” over the military’s handling of his death, citing serious operational failures, negligence and a lack of accountability, Haaretz reported.

The family of Sergeant Gur Kehati, who was 20 at the time of his death, plans to relocate to the Greek island of Crete after growing increasingly frustrated with the “Israeli” military’s response to the incident, including its initial reluctance to disclose the circumstances surrounding his killing.

According to the report, the family has also criticized the slow pace of the investigation and the failure to take meaningful disciplinary measures against those responsible for the decisions that led to his death.

Kehati was killed on November 20, 2024, during an unauthorized visit to an archaeological site in the Southern Lebanese village of Chamaa.

Reserve Colonel Yoav Yarom, who served as chief of staff of the "Golani Brigade" in the reserves, had permitted 71-year-old researcher Ze’ev Erlich to enter an area in the western sector of southern Lebanon while wearing an “Israeli” military uniform, despite lacking the necessary authorization.

Yarom accompanied Erlich and several “Israeli” soldiers to a medieval fortress in Chamaa, believing that the area had been secured and posed no immediate threat.

However, two Hezbollah fighters ambushed the group upon its arrival, killing Kehati and Erlich. Another “Israeli” officer sustained serious injuries, while Yarom was moderately wounded.

The circumstances surrounding the operation subsequently raised questions about the military’s decision-making, particularly the authorization of a civilian’s entry into an active combat zone without the required approvals.

Kehati’s family described the sequence of operational failures leading to his death, along with the military’s subsequent handling of the incident, as a “horror movie.”

His mother, Maayan, expressed frustration over what she described as the abandonment of soldiers and their families by “Israeli” institutions.

Referring to soldiers killed during the October 7, 2023 attack and the subsequent war, she said some were treated as though they “are nobody’s children,” questioning who was responsible for protecting young “Israelis” raised to volunteer and eventually enter military service.

Maayan also recounted a meeting with “Israeli” military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir in July, during which he asked whether her family intended to leave the entity.

At the time, she told him, “We will not leave. The country has abandoned us.”

Her husband, Ron, said the family had reached a point where remaining in “Israel” no longer offered the possibility of healing or rebuilding their lives.

He explained that they needed a supportive community and a sense of hope for the future, neither of which they believed they could find in the “Israeli” entity.

Maayan similarly described a profound loss of belonging, saying she could no longer imagine sending her children to schools administered by the “Israeli” Ministry of Education.

Reflecting the depth of her disillusionment, she said she had come to see her son’s blood on the faces of “Israelis,” underscoring the family’s growing alienation from the society and institutions they hold responsible for failing him.