Sgt. Liav Kababia Laid to Rest in Hod HaSharon

Mourning crowds gathered at the cemetery in Hod HaSharon on Sunday to pay their last respects to Sgt. Liav Kababia, who was killed in Lebanon on the night between Thursday and Friday in the battalion commander’s tank disaster. The report was published at 17:59 on June 21, 2026.

Family and friends delivered emotional eulogies, describing Kababia as a beloved, funny and caring young man. One family member wrote, “I will never forget you. You are always in my heart,” saying he used to motivate her, cheer her up when she was down, and taught her not to take life too seriously. She said she kept a playlist of songs that now serve as her memory of him.

A former commander of Battalion 52, who was seriously wounded during the fighting in Lebanon, also spoke at the funeral. He said, “You were a heroic fighter. I thank you for saving my life in Bint Jbeil. Today I stand here above you,” adding that Kababia was brave, dedicated and someone who fought alongside him in Lebanon.

Friends Yehonatan, Aviv, Eli and Hoshin remembered Kababia as a man with strange socks, football shirts and a huge sense of humor, someone who knew the right thing to say at the right time and always lifted others up. They said he brought joy into every room, never asked for anything in return, and left them with a deep sense of loss.