Man, 80, killed in car crash near kibbutz he co-founded

An 80-year-old man was killed Sunday morning in a head-on crash near the border with the Gaza Strip, while his granddaughter, who was visiting the area over the Hanukkah holiday, was left in moderate condition.

The crash between two private cars occurred on a road between Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha and the community of Kissufim in the Eshkol Regional council.

Aryeh Lahav from the nearby Kibbutz Nir Oz was named as the man killed in the crash. The kibbutz said he was one of the founders of the community.

His nine-year-old granddaughter and the driver of the second vehicle, a 40-year-old man, were rescued from the severely damaged cars suffering injuries in the head, chest and limbs and were taken by helicopter to Soroka hospital in Beersheba, where their condition was listed as moderate.

Lahav is survived by five children and 13 grandchildren. He was mourned by the Eshkol Regional Council, which said in a statement that its staff were “shocked and saddened by the death of Aryeh Lahav, a veteran of the council, and express condolences to the family and the community of Nir Oz.”

“The council’s professional teams are accompanying the community and the family at this time and helping with anything that is needed,” the statement continued.

Police launched an investigation into the circumstances of the crash.

Three other people were killed in other car crashes over the weekend.

A 55-year-old pedestrian died after he was run over Saturday evening in the Arab town of Kafr Yasif in northern Israel.

On Friday, 19-year-old Amal Abu Raqiq was killed in a car crash on Route 6, near the city of Kiryat Gat, along with her 5-month-old daughter Fatma. Amal had been pregnant. Her husband Nasim, who was driving, was seriously injured and is currently hospitalized at Soroka hospital. Two of her sisters were also wounded.