Sgt. Yifat Gavrieli

Aug 4, 2002 - Sgt. Yifat Gavrieli, 19, of Mitzpe Adi, was one of 9 people killed in the suicide bombing of Egged bus No. 361 traveling from Haifa to Safed at the Meron junction in northern Israel.

Egged bus No. 361 left Haifa for Safed at 7:15 Sunday morning. The terrorist, who had boarded the bus, exploded the bomb at the Meron junction near Safed just before 9:00. The blast blew off the roof of the bus, which then burst into flames, killing or wounding nearly everyone inside.

Sgt. Yifat Gavrieli, an operations sergeant in the Northern Command, was returning to her base after a week's leave in Eilat when she was murdered. Born and raised in Haifa, she moved with her family in 1995 to Mitzpe Adi, where she was a much-beloved counselor in the Bnei Hamoshavim youth movement.

"Yifat established the values system of the youth movement," recalled a friend. "She was an angel and always had a smile. It was important to her to maintain contact with all of us and she was always concerned to ensure that we were okay."

Another friend recalled speaking with her the night before the bombing and being comforted by her. "She told me not to be afraid of terrorist attacks. Yifat loved to dance, to laugh, and to cook," she added, "and was always concerned about others before herself."

Sgt. Yifat Gavrieli was buried in Haifa. She is survived by her father, Ya'acov, an Egged bus driver, her mother, Ronit, a brother, Efi, 15, and a sister, Na'ama, 11.