His aunt, Orna, mourned his loss, “With broken hearts and endless pain, we announce the loss of our beloved nephew. Beyond being an IDF officer, Reei was an inspiring figure—dedicated, principled and driven by a sense of mission and love for others.
“A beloved nephew and role model to his cousins, his light, smile and warmth touched everyone. He fills us with immense pride and eternal longing.” His uncle, Eitan, added, “Reei was a child of light, a brave warrior, a cherished son, brother and unparalleled nephew. The pain is immense, the loss unimaginable.”
Terrorists fired an anti-tank at the unit, then emerged from a tunnel attempting to abduct Azulay, who was part of a mission to destroy terrorist infrastructure with the Golani Brigade’s 12th Battalion.
Footage of abduction attempt released by Hamas
Hamas released footage of the abduction attempt, revealing a recurring vulnerability: soldiers in exposed vehicles with open doors, similar to a recent incident where seven engineering soldiers died in an APC incident. The terrorists moved freely in daylight among a convoy demolishing homes, undetected, armed and filming.
An initial IDF investigation confirmed that the terrorists exploit rubble from bombardments and demolitions to approach safely, fire anti-tank missiles at close range and escape through undetected tunnels.
The IDF demolishes buildings used by militants that threaten forces, with most destruction near Gaza’s dividing corridors like Netzarim and Morag and a new buffer zone along the border.
