The father of Staff Sgt. Nove Habshush, the fourth soldier killed in the tank disaster in Lebanon, eulogized his son on Sunday morning and described unbearable grief. Habshush was one of four Israelis killed in the incident, alongside Staff Sgt. Liav Kavavia, Staff Sgt. Yoav Klein and Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Shimon.
His father, Chaim, who serves as deputy commander of the reserve Yiftach Brigade, said Nove was especially beloved and always ready to help others. “He was simply a good kid. Everyone loved him. He always gave in, helped and contributed. He was an angel walking among us,” he said.
In recent months, Nove had been fighting in Lebanon as a tank commander in Battalion 52. His father said he was deeply proud of his service in the Armored Corps and saw it as a real mission. “He was very proud of what he did, being at the spearhead. He felt very meaningful,” Chaim said.
About two weeks ago, Nove last came home and then spent Shabbat with his two grandfathers and grandmothers, whom he had not seen for a long time because of operational service. At 11 p.m. on Saturday night he texted his father that he might come home on Sunday, but asked him not to tell his mother so she would not be disappointed if it did not work out. About an hour and 15 minutes later, the tank hit an explosive device and he was killed.
Nove was the third fallen soldier from Giv'at Binyamin and the 64th from the Binyamin Regional Council since the war began. He leaves behind his parents, Chaim and Einav, and his sisters Noam and Nesya. Binyamin Regional Council head Israel Gantz said the whole community’s heart was broken and promised the family continued support.
