Comedian Guy Hochman Mourns Fallen Soldier Eliab Tzfalamus

Comedian Guy Hochman expressed his heartbreak after learning of the death of Captain Eliab Haim Tzfalamus, a soldier in the Combat Engineering Corps who served in Battalion 603. Tzfalamus fell during recent fighting in Lebanon. Shortly before his death, Tzfalamus had planned a romantic surprise for his girlfriend, Inbar, by purchasing tickets to Hochman's stand-up show.

Upon hearing the tragic story from Inbar, Hochman took to social media to share his grief. "My heart is shattered," he wrote. "Captain Eliab Haim Tzfalamus fell this week in Lebanon, and this is what his girlfriend sent me now. The engineering officer and romantic man surprised her again with tickets to my show. He will no longer arrive."

Hochman announced that he would dedicate a special seat at his upcoming Saturday night show to Tzfalamus's memory, leaving it empty as a sign of honor. "The seat of Eliab, hero of Israel, will remain reserved this Saturday night. We will place flowers and an engineering flag on it and stand in his honor. We will remember and commemorate. Inbar, the Tzfalamus family, and Battalion 603, we are with you."

Since the start of the war, Hochman has been actively performing for soldiers on bases and for evacuees, aiming to boost morale and support bereaved families. Tzfalamus, 21, from Haifa, fell during operational activity in southern Lebanon when an "Hummer" vehicle overturned, an incident that also injured three other soldiers. He was posthumously promoted from lieutenant to captain. His mother, Chali Tzfalamus, is an employee of the Haifa Municipality. Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav eulogized Tzfalamus, calling him part of a generation of heroes dedicated to the country's security.