St.-Sgt. Erez Idan

Oct 19, 2003 - St.-Sgt. Erez Idan, 19, of Rishon Lezion was one of three soldiers killed while on patrol in Ein Yabrud, north of Ramallah, when terrorists fired on them from behind. The Fatah al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack.

Four soldiers from the Duhifat battalion were on foot patrol in Ein Yabrud to prevent terrorists from firing on vehicles traveling to nearby Ofra when several terrorists shot them in the back. Three fell on the road and were executed by point-blank shots to the head. The fourth, who fell in the bushes, was seriously wounded and evacuated to hospital. The terrorists seized the soldiers' weapons and fled. IDF forces launched a search for the gunmen, placing Ein Yabrud under closure and positioned roadblocks in the area.

St.-Sgt. Erez Idan, who would have been 20 in another month, was the eldest of three. He majored in electronics at the Amal High School and loved the sea and surfboarding. He had hoped to serve in an elite unit, but eventually joined the Duhifat battalion and aspired to become an officer in Duhifat, the IDF special operations infantry unit. Although he had failed officers' training once (according to friends due to over-enthusiasm), he was determined to try again. Erez was killed along with Sgt. Elad Pollack and Sgt. Roi Ya'acov Solomon.

St.-Sgt. Erez Idan was buried in the military cemetery in Holon. He is survived by his parents, Ami and Malka, and two younger brothers.