Sgt. Doron Lev

Feb 23, 2003 - Sgt. Doron Lev, 19, of Holon was shot and killed when a Palestinian sniper opened fire at an army position in the southern Gaza Strip. The PFLP claimed responsibility for the attack.

Sgt. Doron Lev, who was bringing tea to other soldiers at one of the guard posts of IDF headquarters in Gaza, was shot and mortally wounded by a Palestinian sniper. The bullet, fired from a few hundred meters away, struck Lev in the back. He was declared dead shortly after his arrival by helicopter at Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva. The headquarters and a nearby base are under constant threat of snipers from Khan Yunis.

Doron grew up in Holon where he majored in biology at the Kiryat Sharett High School. He also excelled in basketball, playing for the Holon Elitzur team. He graduated last June and began his army service in August. When he was not accepted for Air Force pilot training, he asked to served in the Shimshon Brigade. Doron, who turned 19 at the end of January, arrived with his unit in Gaza just a week before he was killed.

A friend related, "Doron was an outstanding person, good-looking and with a big heart. He was always looking out for his friends and family."

Sgt. Doron Lev was buried in the military cemetery in Holon. He is survived by his parents, Shoshana and Avraham, and his sister Maya (23).