Heavy grief fell on the community of Otniel in the South Hebron Hills after learning of the fall of 22-year-old First Lieutenant Fadia Mark, a Givati Brigade soldier, who fell in battle against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip. Padya lost his father Michael (Michi) Mark in a shooting attack in 2016 on Route 60 while riding in his car with his two children, Padya and Tehila, who were also wounded in the attack.
Three years later, tragedy struck the family again when Padya's brother, Shlomi, was killed in a motorcycle accident on Route 6 while on his way to work at the Ministry of Defense. His organs were donated and saved five people. Despite the devastation and the severe loss, Padilla did not give up and followed in the footsteps of his brother, who was himself a fighter and company commander in Givati, and about a year ago even completed the training track as a combat soldier and brigade commander.
Fadia Mark from Otniel killed in battle in Gaza, November 2023/Courtesy of the family
Grief has also struck the current war on the family. On the day of the murderous Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, Fadia's cousin, 47-year-old Elhanan Clemensohn from Otniel, fell. Clemensohn heard about the massacre near the Gaza Strip and traveled with his brother and another nephew to fight against Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Be'eri. Elhanan fell in battle after killing dozens of terrorists.
Orit Mark Ettinger, Padya's sister, eulogized him: "Fedoshak, my beloved little brother but the big one. A man among 5 girls, adoring sisters. He survived the attack. The Givati Patrol because it is a pedia, fought to become an officer and fell in battle heroically together with his soldiers in Gaza. And the heart, what about him? Father, Shlomi, Elchanan - everyone welcomes Fedoschka there. We? We were left empty and missing. I no longer have words. 'Land don't cover your blood.'"
Yossi Cohen, former Mossad chief, relative of Lieutenant Fadia Mark, who was killed in Gaza incident/documentation on social networks according to section 27A of the Copyright Law
Father Michael (Michi) Mark, who was murdered in a terrorist attack in 2016/Courtesy of the family
He fell in battle with terrorists in Bari. Elhanan Clemenson, cousin of Padya Mark/documentation on social networks according to section 27A of the Copyright Law
The Mount Hebron Regional Council eulogized Fadia. "We share in the deep sorrow of the Mark family, to whose great sorrow bereavement is no stranger," the council said in a statement. "In recent years, Padilla was a member of the family of Eliyahu Ben Ami, who was murdered in 2000, and his wife cared for Pedia like a brick."
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- Givati Brigade
- Gaza Strip
- Hamas
- IDF fallen soldiers
- Idf
- Gaza War
- Iron Sword War