Hundreds of people arrived today (Friday) to accompany Lieutenant Yaakov Ilian from Ramat Gan, a cadet in the Gefen Battalion and a squad commander at Givati Hospital, on his final journey. He fell in battle in the northern Gaza Strip, aged 20. He is survived by his parents and a sister.
Elian was a volunteer with the police as part of the Personal Commitment Project. Gan District Police spokesman Liran Erlich said sadly: "He was humble, peaceful and very motivated, and said he wanted to serve in a combat unit. I shudder, I couldn't believe it and I can't digest that he's no longer with us, the salt of the earth. The volunteers don't digest either, he was loved by everyone."
Yaakov Shasha, his twelfth-grade teacher, says that the trait that characterized Yaakov in his eyes was true innocence. "His mouth and heart were always equal and his desire to give and contribute was pure and clean. Giving to others was at the root of his soul, giving to friends, family and the people. It was reflected in his whole personality."
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