Sgt. Rotem Shani

Mar 14, 2002 - Sgt. Rotem Shani, 19, of Hod Hasharon was one of three soldiers killed when a tank escorting a civilian convoy drove over a land mine exploded on the Karni-Netzarim road in the Gaza Strip.

At 6:30 AM, an army tracker was walking in front of two tanks, with a unit of Givati Brigade soldiers on foot in the rear, to secure the road leading from nearby Netzarim, when the mine exploded underneath one of the tanks. The terrorists are believed to have hid behind a mosque near the roadside and detonated the mine by remote control. The explosion, which set the tank on fire, killed one of the tank crew instantly; the two other crew members were burned to death. The tank commander and t

Rotem Shani, the second of three children, was born and raised in Kfar Sava. About two years ago his family moved to Hod Hasharon. Rotem was an excellent student at the Katznelson high school in Kfar Sava, and a gifted athlete. Rotem's mother Sylvie is a elementary school teacher. His father, Yossi, served as an officer in the IDF Armored Corps, and after the army worked on the development of the Merkava tank.

Rotem had always dreamt of serving on a Merkava tank, and volunteered for the Armored Corps when he began his army service nearly a year ago. "Rotem was a beautiful person, intelligent, optimistic, smart and funny", said his older brother, Saar.

Sgt. Rotem Shani was buried in Kfar Sava. He is survived by his parents, Yossi and Sylvie, his brother Saar (24) and his sister Roni (17).