‘Be proud of Ido’: Soldier killed in West Bank shooting laid to rest
IDF commander says Ido Baruch, 21, who was killed in the northern West Bank, had ‘spirit of devotion, human love and optimism’
Staff Sgt. Ido Baruch, 21, was laid to rest in the Old Gedera Military Cemetery on Wednesday, a day after he was killed in a shooting attack outside the Shavei Shomron settlement, in the northern West Bank.
Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral, including members of Baruch’s elite Givati infantry unit, who carried the coffin to its final resting place.
Speaking at the funeral, Roni Klivizky, Baruch’s girlfriend, told mourners, “My Ido, I can’t imagine how I can continue in this reality without you at my side.”
“Ido was the most beautiful person I ever met — inside and out,” added an emotional Klivizky.
“Thank you for teaching me about love, thank you for being the best and most supportive partner… you were my anchor. I love you so much,” she tearfully concluded.
Baruch was the second soldier in a matter of days to be killed amid a spate of shooting attacks in the West Bank.
According to an initial IDF probe of the shooting, a gunman apparently opened fire from a passing vehicle and fled the scene at a high speed. Security camera footage showed the car fleeing the area, then passing by a military vehicle, toward the Palestinian town of Deir Sharaf.
Lt. Col. Ariel Gonen, Baruch’s commander, described his “shock” and “pain” at the loss.
“He [was] drafted to our unit in December 2020 and passed the course to be a fighter in Givati Reconnaissance Unit, and to fulfill a full and important service.”
Speaking directly to Baruch’s grave, Gonen said, “We saw that you were a man with a smile that characterized you, an optimistic person who carried out every mission with seriousness and a smile.”
Gonen implored the Baruch family to “be proud of Ido,” describing the fallen soldier as exemplifying a “spirit of devotion, human love and optimism,” and adding, “His image will stand before our eyes forever.”
The West Bank has seen a surge in violence in recent months, particularly in its north. Palestinian gunmen have targeted military posts, troops operating along the West Bank security barrier, Israeli settlements, and civilians on the roads.
In a shooting attack near Jerusalem on Saturday, another Israeli soldier, Sgt. Noa Lazar, 18, was killed. The gunman, Udai Tamimi, thought to have fled into the Shuafat refugee camp, was still on the run Wednesday.
A civilian security guard seriously wounded in the attack remained in serious and unstable condition, the hospital said in a statement Tuesday morning.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
