Two [IDF] soldiers killed by Hezbollah in north

Haaretz ^ | July 21, 2004

[yonif]

Two soldiers repairing an antenna on the roof of a fort on the Lebanese border were killed Tuesday by a Hezbollah sharpshooter. The attack came as the army was high alert following the death of a top Hezbollah official is a car bombing in Beirut on Monday,

The two soldiers were communications technicians sent to make the repairs on the roof, without flak jackets. Sergeant Itai Iluz, 21, of Afula, and First Sergeant Avishai Kuriski, 24, of Upper Nazareth, were killed while trying to repair one of the antenna on the roof.

Iluz will be laid to rest in his native town of Afula at 4 P.M. on Wednesday. It is yet undetermined when and where Kuriski will be buried.

The army will investigate why the two were allowed to operate in the open on the roof of the Nurit fort, not far from Moshav Zarit, when army orders along the entire border were to avoid giving the Lebanese guerrilla group any target to attack.

The army responded immediately to the shooting with fire from the air and tanks, and Israel Air Force jets set off sonic booms over Beirut, a reminder of the Lebanese capital's vulnerability and a warning to the Beirut government to take action against the Hezbollah. The tank fire hit the position from where the snipers fired, apparently killing one Hezbollah gunman. Helicopters struck a Hezbollah position in south Lebanon, a former Israeli position taken over by the Lebanese group, and reports said that another three Hezbollah gunmen were wounded.

The Lebanese government filed an official complaint to the United Nations Security Council, sources in Beirut's Foreign Ministry told Reuters.

Hezbollah responded to the Israeli return of fire by firing anti-aircraft shells at Israeli territory. Several fragments hit a northern Galilee moshav, causing a fire.

The Hezbollah said the skirmish began when Israeli forces shelled its positions near the town of Eita al-Shaab. But Israel insists Hezbollah had started the fighting, and that the army would continue to operate against any party "involved in terrorism against Israeli citizens."

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gave the order Tuesday to keep the incident "local," meaning not to undertake a major operation against Hezbollah, Lebanese or Syrian targets in retaliation.

Northern Command Maj. Gen. Benny Gantz said that the alert would remain in effect for as long as the IDF perceived a Hezbollah threat.

"We'll continue keeping our eyes on the events in the coming hours and days and do everything we can not to disturb the residents of the area." But he added that "there is a significant threat emerging here that is creating an explosive situation that could explode."

Gantz blamed Syria and Iran for the tension, as the patrons for the Hezbollah. But the assessment in Jerusalem was that the incident was over, at least for now. Israel is hardly interested in an escalation, and neither is Hezbollah.

The incident occurred the same week that Brig. Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser told the Knesset Foreign Affairs Committee that Iran might provide Hezbollah with weapons of mass destruction, after providing them with thousands of rockets that can hit all of northern Israel

[yonif]

Casualties of Tuesday's Hezbollah attack on an IDF outpost

By David Ratner

Sergeant Major Avishai Kuriski, 24

Avishai Kuriskiwas killed two month before his planned wedding with his girlfriend of five years, Mor Liberman of Haifa. The invitations were sent out and the two had already purchased wedding bands.

The two recently bought an apartment in the northern town of Nahariya, where they planned to live.

Kuriski was born in Afula, and his family moved to Upper Nazareth. He studies at the Sharet High School in Upper Nazareth, in the school's Computers and Electronics department.

He is survived by his parents, Vardit and Mark, and his sister Osnat.

His mother said, "Avishai was a child who liked to be at home. He loved working with computers. I was fearful of his military service, but I kept on saying to myself he's relatively safe as a radio communications technician."

Asher Liberman, the father of Kuriski's fiancee, Mor, said "I feel as though I've lost a son."

Sergeant Itai Iluz, 21

Dozens of friends, uniformed soldiers and soldiers on vacation Tuesday evening flocked to the Afula home of Moshe and Rachel Iluz, who lost their 21-year-old son Itai earlier in the day.

Itai, a sergeant who served as a communications technician in the IDF intelligence branch, was killed Tuesday afternoon by Hezbollah snipers on Israel's northern border. His good friend Amiram Amitai said that Itai was an extraordinarily friendly boy who always smiled, loved to party and have a good time, but never hesitated to work during his vacations or weekends in order not to be a burden to his parents.

Itai's father said that his son was a dream child whom everyone loved, and who never fought with his brother or sister. He said that Itai was an excellent student, who thought about studying architecture after completing his military service. He added that Itai was an independent child who took care of himself.

The father said that in the afternoon he was driving his taxi cab when he heard through the radio that a taxi is needed for representatives from the Afula IDF liaison office. He did not pay much attention to the call, but a few minutes later his other son Adiel called and asked him gently whether he had heard anything from Itai. That was when he began to worry and his heart told him that something bad had happened, he said.

He called Itai, but received no answer. A friend then called him and asked to meet him. They drove home together, and then the father saw the liaison officer's people and understood that the worst had happened.

Itai is survived by his parents, his 27-year-old sister Keren and his 26-year-old brother Adiel.

Iluz will be laid to rest Wednesday at 4 P.M. in Afula.

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