Family keeps name private of IDF tracker slain on Gaza border

The name of the 23-year-old Israel Defense Forces NCO killed Tuesday near the Gaza border was not released to the press, at the request of the family. A mourning tent was erected at the entrance to the neighborhood of the Bedouin town in which he lived, with many of the residents coming to pay their condolences to the family. He was buried in the local cemetery, with many members of the Bedouin community attending.

The soldier is survived by his wife and two children. He served as a tracker with the Desert Patrol Battalion of the Givati Brigade. Friends of the family said that he had lived with his parents and was planning to build a home in a new neighborhood under construction in the town.

"He was a good man, entirely dedicated to the army," a neighbor said. "The family is religious, and his father is a sheikh, so they prefer to keep a low profile."

Other neighbors said Bedouin often play down military service as many of them have relatives and friends in the Gaza Strip.

"These people are torn between their duty to their country and very strict social codes," said a resident of the town.