Staff Sgt. Orr Blumovitz, 20, from Pardes Hanna-Karkur, a soldier in Battalion 601, fell in combat in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF announced Sunday.
Blumovitz was killed alongside seven other soldiers early on Saturday morning, following an explosion in an armored vehicle in the Gaza Strip.
He is mourned by his parents and younger brother.
Israel announces the deaths of eight fighters who fell in battle against Hamas terrorists in Gaza.Cpt. Wassem Mahmoud, 23Sgt. Eliyahu Moshe Zimbalist, 21Sgt. Itay Amar, 19Sgt. Stanislav Kostarev, 21Sgt. Or Blumovitz, 20Sgt. Oz Yeshaya Gruber, 20Cpt. (res.) Eitan… pic.twitter.com/smKw9Z2o85
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) June 16, 2024
His brother, Tal, said that on October 7, Orr “was vacationing at home. At 6:30 a.m., he was already ready with all his gear. Our father drove him to Caesarea, where he was picked up. He loved his service and was so proud to be in combat engineering.
“We were close from an early age and good friends. The truth is that when the war started, we promised each other to strengthen our relationship. He was always so quiet and humble.”
At a mourner’s tent at the family home, Tal said that his brother was a “book worm, a lover of history. He was a hero, and I can’t comprehend the fact that he won’t be coming home. He was a quiet man who didn’t talk too much about his service because he knew how complicated it was. He loved it, though. He last came to visit two weeks ago. He was so proud of what he was doing.”
Tal mentioned Orr’s constant reading of more than 1,000 books on Israel and history. He also spoke about Orr’s friendship with St.-Sgt. Yinon Tamir, 20, who was killed in the northern Gaza Strip in November. “They were best friends, so Tamir’s death affected him deeply. They had a special connection for years.”