The last living commander from the Six Day War died at home surrounded by family.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFPortrait of retired Israeli Maj.-Gen. Shaike Gavish, at the Palmach Museum. January 05, 2016.(photo credit: MOSHE SHAI/FLASH90)
Retired Maj.–Gen. Yeshayahu (Shaike) Gavish, the general who captured Sinai during the Six Day War, died at the age of 99 in his Ramat Hasharon home on Friday, as reported by Israeli media.
Gavish headed the Southern Command during the Six Day War and led the battle of Umm-Qatef, which allowed Israel take control of the Sinai peninsula. The battle is one of the largest and most significant in Israeli military history.
He also commanded the Shlomo Command during the Yom Kippur War in the reserves.
Gavish was a key strategist of the occupation of the Sinai peninsula during Israel's takeover of the region in 1956.
"The life story of Shaike Gavish is intertwined with the history of the IDF and serves as an inspiration to us all," IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said in a press release.
"We were raised and educated on the generation of fighters he led, from the War of Independence to the Yom Kippur War. In recent years, many IDF commanders had the privilege of hearing Maj.-Gen. Gavish, learning from him, and aspiring to follow his path. Today, we fight our battle illuminated by the legacy of the IDF's founding generation. May his memory be blessed."
PRIME MINISTER Levi Eshkol (right), accompanied by OC Southern Command Yeshayahu Gavish, visit troops in the South during the Six Day War. (credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Funeral details
He will be buried on October 6, 2024, at 3:00 PM with full military honors at Kiryat Shaul Cemetery in northern Tel Aviv.
He leaves behind two sons, five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
