Friend of Harel: 'He was a model father'; Brother of Tamir: 'He had a big heart'

Family members and friends of Maj. (res.) Harel Birnstock and Master Sgt. (res.) Tamir Vaknin, who were killed yesterday in a bomb explosion in southern Lebanon, paid tribute to them this morning. Birnstock's funeral will be held at noon at Mount Herzl, and Vaknin's in the evening in Eilat. Defense Minister Israel Katz and Eilat Mayor Eli Lankri offered condolences. The explosion occurred in a booby-trapped building that the IDF did not know about, during an operation by Battalion 28 of the 55th Brigade in a village in the western sector of the security zone.

Family members and friends of Maj. (res.) Harel Birnstock and Master Sgt. (res.) Tamir Vaknin, who were killed yesterday in a bomb explosion in southern Lebanon, paid tribute to them this morning (Thursday) and spoke of the difficult moments. Birnstock's funeral will be held at 12:00 noon at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, and Vaknin's funeral will take place this evening at 19:20 at the military cemetery in Eilat. Matan, Harel's brother, said in a broadcast on Kan News on Reshet Bet: "He was a very family-oriented person, with extraordinary vitality. He loved life, loved his family, loved to hang out, run, travel, and move around. Everything that expressed life in him. He also received support from his wife Elia and his children." Michael, Harel's friend, also eulogized him on air: "We've been together since I can remember. A model father to four children. He gave himself 100% to protect us all. He was an engineer at Elbit, and when he was called up, he put everything aside. We texted on the morning of the incident; I asked when we'd go for a bike ride. He sent me a photo and wrote, 'Not soon, I'm going into action.' When I heard there was an incident, I wrote to him, but he never received that message." Yoav, Tamir's brother, said: "Tamir had a big heart, everyone loved him, he made everyone laugh there in the company, his reserve friends always say he was the heart of the company. People were always around him, he was the light of the family. Since October 7, he did many reserve days, never thought of stopping reserve duty." Tomer, Tamir's cousin, added: "He's been on the front line of the front for three years. Always first, and so in this case too. He is the definition of the salt of the earth. He worked at a cyber company. Recently lived in Tel Aviv, but Eilat was always home for him. A light-hearted person who loves to live life." Defense Minister Israel Katz responded: "On behalf of the entire defense establishment, I send heartfelt condolences to the families. Harel and Tamir left behind families and full lives, and they reported for reserve duty every time with commitment, dedication, and a deep sense of mission, and fell while acting for the security of the State of Israel and the residents of the north." Eilat Mayor Eli Lankri eulogized Tamir, a city resident: "We received with great pain the bitter news of the fall of Tamir, may his memory be blessed, who was one of the city's finest sons. Eilat bows its head, mourns the loss, and hugs the dear family tightly in this most difficult hour." The explosion occurred in a booby-trapped building that the IDF did not know about. The incident took place around 12 noon, during an operation by fighters of Battalion 28 of the 55th Brigade - reserve paratroopers - inside the village, located in the western sector of the Israeli security zone, about eight kilometers from the border. The fighters were securing engineering works of a bulldozer, and for a reason still under investigation by the IDF, they entered the building that turned out to be booby-trapped.