Staff Sergeant Dotan Shimon, 21, who served in the Shaked Battalion in the Givati Brigade, was one of the four IDF soldiers killed in an explosion in Rafah in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
Shimon was from Elazar in Gush Etzion in the West Bank. His sister Nofar was run over by a car a few years ago. He left behind a brother and two parents.
Shimon’s brother, Guy, said in conversation with Ynet, “He was the most perfect kid you could imagine. A charming guy, handsome, with a heart of gold.
“He was the best brother one could ask for. He knew how to handle anything, was a role model, and was a sensitive and loving child,” he added.
He noted that his brother had been lightly wounded by shrapnel a few weeks ago and returned to combat just a few days after being wounded. He subsequently stayed in the Gaza Strip for two consecutive weeks.
'Forever be remembered in hearts he touched'
British Emunah shared in a post on Facebook that Shimon had volunteered with 7th-9th grade youth for a year prior to his enlistment.
Shimon “opened his home on weekends, Shabbatot, and holidays to children in need, providing warmth and love when it was needed most. Dotan’s impact as an educator and mentor was profound, and his spirit will forever be felt in the hearts of those he touched,” the organization said.