Newest Casualties from Israel

From Haaretz

Staff Sergeant Noam Meirson (res.), 23, of Jerusalem
Staff Sergeant Noam Meirson, a 23-year-old reservist from Jerusalem, was killed Monday in clashes with Hezbollah in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbail, a month before he was due to get married. Meirson was called up to fight over the weekend. "Noam was God-fearing," his father, Haim, said Tuesday. "The key thing with him was piety, love of the people and the land. He wanted to be involved in education and the rabbinate." Haim and his wife, Gila, last spoke to their son at 11:30 P.M. Sunday, while attending a prayer service at the Western Wall for the welfare of soldiers and residents of the north.

Staff Sergeant Malko Ambao, 20, of Lod
Malko Ambao, who was killed Tuesday in a gunbattle with Hezbollah fighters near the village of Bint Jbail, immigrated to Israel in 1991 from the Gondar region of Ethiopia. He graduated from the Kfar Batya residential school and the pre-military preparatory program at Yemin Orde. Yemin Orde's program director, Ayal Eldar, described Ambao as "talented and industrious," adding that his death was a great loss to Israeli society. Ambao's brother Avi, 23, a paratrooper, said, "He died a hero. He loved life and his friends loved him." A close friend, Yoel Wabgai, said Ambao had been looking forward to continuing his education.

Major Yotam Lotan (res.), 33, of Kibbutz Beit Hashita
Reserve Captain Yotam Lotan was the third generation of his family to be born and raised on Kibbutz Beit Hashita in the Jezreel Valley. His mandatory military service was spent in the Armored Corp where he was a company commander. After his release from mandatory service, Lotan traveled overseas then returned home to work as a youth counselor. His cousin, Amit Hameiri, said, "Yotam was a counselor admired by his kids." Lotan, who most recently worked as a youth counselor at neighboring Kibbutz Ein Harod, took his kids on a graduation trip to Turkey. Upon his return, he found his emergency call-up orders waiting for him. He joined his reserve unit without even having a chance to bid farewell to his family. Lotan is survived by his parents, Meir and Batya, and by two siblings, Ophir and Rotem.

Staff Sergeant Philip Mosko, 21, of Ma'ale Adumim
Staff Sergeant Philip Mosko, 21, immigrated with his family from Moscow in 1991. Friends and family describe him as a giving person who was always ready to volunteer, even on his weekends off from the army. At age 15, he began volunteering at Magen David Adom and later with the civil guard. Told by the army he was too overweight for a combat unit, he lost 24 kilograms and joined the paratrooper brigade. "He was a good boy and gentle," said his mother. He is survived by his parents, Ze'ev, a psychologist; Luba, who works for the city's education department; and his sister Katya. Philip was laid to rest Tueday on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

Captain Gilad Balachsan (res.), 29, of Carmiel
Captain Gilad Balachsan's mother didn't know he had been called up to serve in Lebanon until she found out about his death Tuesday morning. Balachsan, aged 29 from Carmiel, received his call-up order Sunday, but the family kept the news from his mother, said Balachsan's brother Benny, who has also been called up to fight in the war. Balachsan was killed in clashes with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. "He was really waiting for the call-up," said Benny. "It was clear that this would happen to him - he was always brave, running in first." Balachsan is survived by his parents, Eli and Miriam, Benny and three sisters: Zohar, Liron and Natalie.