IDF Reserve Major Itamar Sapir Killed in Combat in Lebanon

The IDF Spokesperson announced this evening (Tuesday) that Maj. (res.) Itamar Sapir was killed in combat in southern Lebanon. He is survived by his wife Roi, his son Maayan, his parents Yehuda and Rivki, and his brothers Tal, Erez, and Yosef. His funeral will take place tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. at the military cemetery in Ra'anana.

Sapir, 27, a resident of Ariel, served as a company commander in the reserve battalion of the Maglan unit. He is the 20th IDF soldier killed in Lebanon since the start of "Operation Roar of the Lion," and the seventh since the beginning of the ceasefire. Since the outbreak of the "Swords of Iron" war, 946 IDF soldiers have fallen. Hashem yikom damo. Itamar is the 63rd fallen soldier from the Binyamin Regional Council since the start of the war. 

The IDF's initial investigation found that the officer was hit during an exchange of fire with Hezbollah terrorists, at around 9:45 a.m., in the area of a church in the village of Qouzah in southern Lebanon. The terrorists were hiding near the building and opened fire at an IDF force operating in the area. IDF soldiers engaged them in battle.⁠ ⁠Following the gunfire, several infrastructures in the area were attacked. 

The Binyamin Regional Council spokesperson said: "Itamar was the son of Yehuda and Rivki Sapir, residents of the community of Eli. Itamar grew up and was educated in the Binyamin school system, and later studied at Yeshivat Neve Shmuel in Efrat. A few years ago, Itamar married Roi, and the two lived for a short time in Ra'anana. Later they moved to the city of Ariel, where they raised their firstborn son Maayan, who was born about a year and a half ago".

"Itamar enlisted in 2019 in the Maglan unit, and was discharged after serving in the role of company commander in the unit, while in reserve service he served as a company commander in Maglan's reserve battalion. Itamar's friends spoke about who he was and the huge void left by his passing. "He was the most upright friend I know," says Meir, an childhood friend of Itamar. "A joyful, opinionated friend with a wonderful family. A friend who, when he wants something, will invest his whole self in order to achieve his goal".

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "With great pain, we learned this evening of the fall of Maj. (res.) Itamar Sapir, of blessed memory, who was killed in combat in southern Lebanon. Itamar, of blessed memory, a son of the community of Eli, was a courageous commander who fought bravely against Hezbollah terrorists to defend our northern border. My wife Sara and I, together with all the citizens of Israel, send our deepest condolences to his family and embrace them in their difficult hour. May his memory be a blessing".