Hillel and Yagael Yaniv, the brothers killed in a Sunday terror attack were laid to rest in Jerusalem on Monday afternoon as the manhunt for their killers continues.
The brothers, from the community of Har Bracha in Samaria, were killed in the Palestinian village of Huwara, south of Shechem (Nablus) on Sunday when their car was rammed by Palestinians, forcing it to the side of the road. The brothers were then shot to death at point blank range.
The Israeli Defense Forces reinforced its manpower in Samaria as Israeli-Palestinian tensions remained high and the search for the terrorists went on. Jews rampaged in Huwara on Sunday night, torching a number of buildings and cars in what they described as a revenge attack.
Hillel was studying in a “hesder” program which combines military service with religious studies in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shemona. According to the Israel Defense Forces, the 21-year-old was a staff sergeant in the Israeli Navy, who served in a patrol boat squadron.
Yagael, who was two weeks away from his twentieth birthday, was studying in a similar hesder program in the coastal town of Givat Olga. He was trying to qualify to serve in a combat unit.
The funeral procession made its way from Har Bracha to Jerusalem, with settlers somberly standing by the roadside, paying their last respects.
Before the procession left, the mother, Esti Yaniv, made a plea for national unity, saying, “I sent my two children to the army. We did not use it as a political tool. We want unity. We must not harm the army,” said Esti. “I told my children to remain a united family. We are brothers, the nation of eternity does not fear a long journey.”
In his eulogy, Lt. Col. Roi Gardosh, commander of Hillel’s squadron said, “I didn’t have time to tell your family members how meaningful and important you were to the team and to us in the squadron. It was a great privilege for me to command you,” adding, “Dear Yaniv family, in these unfortunate circumstances we say goodbye to Hillel and Yagael, who fell while on their way to perform the mitzvah of Torah study that was so important to them.”.
The boys’ sister, Rachel, said through tears, “We are trying to accept with love the difficult news that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave us yesterday. It is difficult and it hurts, we are going through really difficult days. But we are strong, and Israel has been through so many other things. I’m sure we’ll stand by it.”
Image - Flash90