Sgt. Maj. Boaz Emete

June 8, 2003 - Sgt. Maj. Boaz Emete, 24, of Beit She'an was one of four soldiers killed when Palestinian terrorists opened fire on an IDF outpost near the Erez checkpoint and industrial zone in the Gaza Strip.

At about 5:30 on Sunday morning, three terrorists wearing IDF uniforms and armed with Kalashnikovs and grenades passed through the checkpoint for Palestinian laborers on their way to work in the Erez industrial zone. They then crossed the fence and wall separating the outpost from the industrial zone. At the entrance to the outpost, the terrorists opened fire and threw grenades at a warrant officer, Sgt. Maj. Boaz Emete, who was fixing a tank, killing him. The terrorists continued to fire, killing two reserve soldiers on guard duty at the outpost gates - Sgt. Maj. (Res.) Assaf Abergil and Sgt. Maj. (Res.) Udi Ayelet. Penetrating into the outpost, they killed another reserve soldier, Sgt. Maj. (Res.) Chen Engel, and wounded four others, before being killed by soldiers from the response team. The Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad issued a joint statement claiming responsibility for the attack.

Born in Beit She'an, Boaz Emete was the second son of David and Rahel, who come from two of the city's veteran families. Boaz graduated in the electronics stream from the ORT Beit She'an Comprehensive School and studied for two years at the Citrin College.

Boaz served in the IDF Armored Corps as a mechanic on the firing mechanisms of tanks. He had been stationed for nine months in southern Lebanon prior to the IDF's withdrawal from the region, as well as in Judea and Samaria. Being due to complete his army service in three weeks, he was on duty at the Erez checkpoint to replace a soldier who had been forced to go home following a death in the family. The last call he placed was at 3:00 A.M. to his girl friend, Elinor, telling her he had arrived safely at his destination.

Sgt. Major Boaz Emet was buried in the military section of the Beit She'an cemetery. He is survived by his parents, David and Rahel, and three brothers - Michael, 26, Yohai, 19, and Eldad, 18.