St.-Sgt.-Maj. (res.) Yohay Hay Glam was killed in battle while fighting in the Gaza Strip, the IDF announced on Wednesday.
St.-Sgt.-Maj. Glam, 32, from Netanya, served in reconnaissance battalion 6310 in the 16th Brigade.
Glam fell in the central Gaza Strip.
He left behind a wife, two-year-old twin daughters, parents, two brothers, and two sisters.
Sister mourns fallen brother
His sister, Ravit, told Ynet, "My beloved little brother was a hero of Israel," who also fought in Operation Protective Edge in 2014.
She added, "He was religious and on October 7, when he heard what happened he ran to his rabbi to recieve an approval to use his phone because it was Shabbat and Chag."
His sister told the Israeli news outlet that after having received the approval and recruiting his team, her brother left for the army on the same day. He since partook in reserve duty on the northern front as well.
She further stated that last week, her brother received a two-day vacation, "We took advantage of them to travel together, but I didn't know this would be parting from him for good."
"He enlisted again two weeks ago and was supposed to be discharged on September 12," his sister said.
The Aharai! ["After me" in Hebrew], movement in which Glam was a counselor mourned him. "Yohai, the 52nd fallen from the movement, protected the country's citizens in its most difficult hour, together with many graduates of the movement, fought and sacrificed his life for the continuation of the existence of the State of Israel."
The movement said that as a counselor, Glam encouraged the movement members to carry out meaningful military service and further contribute to the country.
Fallen soldiers since beginning of war
According to the IDF's tally, the death of St.-Sgt.-Maj. Glam raises the total of soldiers killed on or since October 7 of last year to 703.
Some 339 of this number were killed since the start of the military's ground operations in the Strip on October 27.