Major Ben Shelly, commander of a combat platoon in the Special Rescue Tactical Unit (669), who in his previous position served as an auxiliary company commander in Golani's 51st Battalion, fell in battle in the Gaza Strip along with eight other fighters.
Shelly, a resident of Kidron in the lowlands, is survived by his parents, Carmel and Moshe, and two younger brothers, Yam and Mika. His father is a colonel in the reserves, who last served as chief engineering officer from 2007 to 2011. He commanded the corps in Operation Cast Lead, under which the corps received high praise during and after the fighting.
Rescue under fire: documentation from the evacuation of wounded from the combat zone by rescue helicopters and Unit 669 fighters // IDF Spokesperson (archive)
Acquaintances from the moshav where he lived tell of Major Shelly that he was a tall and impressive young man, handsome, who always gave a hand and helped anyone who needed it, even when he didn't ask. Adir, his friend from the army, wrote about him on Facebook: "He was an officer and a gentleman. A young officer, humble and full of intelligence, confidence and ambition. Thanks to such fighters, the people of Israel can sleep peacefully and I am sure that much more will be told about his role among the heroes that Golani soldiers conducted yesterday."
Another friend said that Ben was a man of values who had the country's best interests at the forefront, imbued with purpose, who wanted to succeed in the mission and bring the abductees home. Shelley was supposed to attend the Nova Reim party with 13 childhood friends, but eventually canceled his participation. Of the 12 friends who traveled from the party, four were murdered in a massacre carried out by the terrorists at Migonit Ba'unumim, where the friends fled with other participants from the party.
The incident in which the nine soldiers were killed occurred when, during a mopping up of a crowded area between houses in Gaza, an IDF force was shot at from one of the houses, and an IED was also activated. The force returned fire at the source of the fire, and as a result of the detonation of the IED, a separation was created between the forces and a rescue process began. Another force that arrived at the scene entered the building. A second IED was then detonated, claiming the lives of other fighters.
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