A great student with a heart of gold: Yeshiva praises graduate Sgt. Hillel Ovadia, who fell in Gaza

Hillel and two other IDF soldiers were killed early on Friday morning after their tank ran over an IED on the road while operating near the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza.

 Sgt. Hillel Eliyahu Ovadia, who fell in combat in Gaza, October 25, 2024. (photo credit: Canva, IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)
Sgt. Hillel Eliyahu Ovadia, who fell in combat in Gaza, October 25, 2024.
(photo credit: Canva, IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

Seargent Hillel Eliyahu Ovadia fell in combat in Gaza on October 25, along with three other members of his armored squad.

Hillel studied at the military preparatory Yeshiva in Bruchin, near Ariel in the northern West Bank.

Rabbis and students from the Yeshiva paid tribute to Hillel in a post on Facebook.

"The kindest person, gentle of the soul and with a heart of gold. A true scholar. Joined the IDF together with the rest of his wonderful class."

Other tributes showed Hillel supporting friends who had been injured in the war.

Fighting in Jabalya

Hillel and two other IDF soldiers were killed early on Friday morning after their tank ran over an IED on the road while operating near the Kamal Adwan Hospital, according to Maariv.

They were supposed to secure civilian evacuation routes out of the hospital, which is expected to be part of ongoing operations in Jabalya.

IDF troops in the area fought several more battles with terrorists following the initial attack.

Five additional IDF deaths in Lebanon were also announced on Friday.