St.-Sgt. Ron Lavie

Feb 14, 2002 - St.-Sgt. Ron Lavie, 20, of Katzrin was one of three soldiers killed when a powerful mine exploded under a IDF tank on the Karni-Netzarim road in the Gaza Strip, following the detonation of a roadside bomb at a civilian convoy of cars and a bus.

St.-Sgt. Ron Lavie was the driver of the Merkava III tank, considered one of the safest in the world. The blast was apparently caused by a 50-kilo home-made mine which had been buried in the path of the tank. Ron was killed immediately.

The family are long-time residents of Katzrin, and Lavie's teachers recall him as a brilliant student. His good friend Elad Ze'evi said: "We grew up together in Katzrin, and we attended elementary school and high school together. Since he was born, Ron wanted to drive a tank. Both his brother and father were tank drivers. He never complained about his army service. His was an ardent fan of the Manchester United soccer club. He even flew to England to watch their games."

St.-Sgt. Ron Lavie will be buried in Netanya. He is survived by his parents, Yinon and Yardena, and his older brother Udi.