Israeli flags placed beside grave of fallen soldier torn, vandalized

Israeli flags placed beside the grave of Staff Sgt. Regev Amar, who fell in Kibbutz Kissufim on October 7, were vandalized and torn down on Tuesday in Kibbutz Sde Nehemia. The perpetrators have not been identified. Regev's mother, Gilanit Amar, said this was the second time this week that haredim vandalized an Israeli flag on his grave. The cemetery is near a path used by hikers, who also leave waste and relieve themselves in the area due to lack of restrooms.

Israeli flags placed beside the grave of Staff Sgt. Regev Amar, a soldier who fell in battle in Kibbutz Kissufim on October 7, were vandalized and torn down on Tuesday in Kibbutz Sde Nehemia. The individuals responsible for the incident have not been identified. Regev's mother, Gilanit Amar, wrote in a social media post that this was the second time this week that haredim have vandalized an Israeli flag on Regev's grave. She expressed sorrow, writing, "Regevi, I'm sorry." Amar's mother said it was painfully difficult to discover that Israeli flags had been vandalized beside the grave of a fallen soldier who gave his life for the country. Regev was buried at the cemetery in Sde Nehemia near the Nahal Hermon river, as close as possible to the place he loved most, according to his family. The cemetery is located beside a path used by pedestrians and cyclists, and many hikers pass through the area at this time of year. Family members and local residents said that, in addition to the repeated damage to the flags, hikers leave waste in nature and even relieve themselves among the bushes near the cemetery because of the lack of available restrooms, despite the Upper Galilee Regional Council having placed trash bins along the stream. Amar, who was 20 when he fell, served as a Negev machine gunner in the Paratroopers Brigade's 101st Battalion and attended a squad commanders course at Bislah. He dreamed of becoming an officer, educating soldiers, and later studying medicine. On the morning of October 7, his unit was deployed to the Gaza border area. Along the way, the soldiers fought terrorist cells and rescued a young woman from an attempted kidnapping. The unit arrived at Kibbutz Kissufim, where Regev was struck by three bullets in his lower body and lost sensation in his legs. Despite his severe injuries and massive bleeding, he continued directing the fighting calmly. When his comrades tried to approach and rescue him, he ordered them not to do so to avoid endangering their lives. "If you come near me, you will die," he told them. "Stay where you are." After one of his comrades recited "Shema Yisrael" with him, a grenade was thrown toward him, and his voice fell silent. Following his death, he was promoted to the rank of staff sergeant. He is survived by his parents and two sisters. His family decided to commemorate him by establishing "Derech Regev" in Sde Nehemia, a branch of the Galil Elyon pre-military academy that will operate in accordance with his values: love of the land, protecting nature, love for others, and volunteering in the community.