A teenage Israeli soldier was branded as a hero after sacrificing her life to protect members of her unit.
19-year-old Ravit Hana Assayag was a dedicated Border Force soldier who dedicated her life to protecting her homeland.
On early Saturday morning, the young lady got involved in a shootout with Hamas militants after they invaded Israel and killed several hundred civilians.
According to her superiors, Ravit and her unit stormed a shed in the village of Yakhini after finding out that the militants might be hiding in it. She allegedly also insisted on going in first despite knowing the risks associated with the mission.
In the exchange of fire, the teenager was shot in the head and killed instantly.
On Monday, Ravit’s comrades and loved ones held a touching funeral service during which the young soldier was remembered for her bravery.
“Ravit insisted on going in first. She was killed but she saved the unit, she saved the operation. We were in an olive grove and had been fighting for several hours. We shot eight of them. Ravit killed three,” Commander Baruch Honig said.
“We thought they were all dead. We did a sweep of the area and Ravit went to check a shed in the olive grove.
“She insisted on going in first. She asked me to cover her. She was shot. But if she had not gone in there, he would have wiped us all out. She saved the unit.”
It was since her tragic death also revealed that Ravit was celebrating the Jewish festival of Sukkot with her family in the States just days before her death.
Immediately after the celebrations, however, the girl insisted on returning to her post at the border with Gaza.
“My daughter wanted to be a border guard. I have brought up my children to do their duty for the nation,” Ravit’s heartbroken dad, Shimon Assayag, expressed.
“However, she did not have to go into the military, she could have some other kind of national service. But she insisted on joining a combat unit. She wanted to protect our country, to protect Israel.”
Our thoughts are with Ravit’s loved ones during this challenging time.