Sergeant First Class Omri Elmakis
Omri had spent the weekend at home before his unit, that had just served 30 days in Gaza, mobilized to the Lebanon border. His good friend Ido Atal said "After spending 30 days in Gaza, Omri called me on Friday and asked that I come pick him up. On Sunday, he went to Lebanon." Atal said to Omri during their last conversation, "All of your friends are proud of you; we are waiting for you at home. Don't do anything foolish." "Omri was a funny guy, a sort of prankster," he said. "We said that after the army, we would make a ton of money, fly off to South America and forget about everything." Family members said Omri loved the army, and wore a Golani t-shirt even at home and at social events. Being an only child, Omri was not required to serve in a combat unit, but his uncle Nissim Elmakis, remarked "He was not willing to serve in any unit other than Golani; he followed in my footsteps." Omri was killed by Hezbollah on August 4, 2006 while on a mission to eradicate terror cells across the Lebanon border. He was 21 years old.