Israel Tzuriel, a decorated war hero who fought in one of the fiercest battles of the 1967 Six-Day War, has died at age 83 in Kiryat Shmuel, Haifa.
Serving as a machine gunner in Battalion 66 of the 55th Paratroopers Brigade, Tzuriel participated in the capture of the northern approaches to Jerusalem's Old City. During the battle for Ammunition Hill, a heavily fortified Jordanian position, he was the first to climb out of the trenches, providing covering fire for his comrades as they advanced under threat from Jordanian Legion forces. After expending all his ammunition, he returned to the trench.
Following the death of Eitan Nava, later immortalized in a famous Israeli song about the battle, Tzuriel climbed out of the trenches a second time to provide cover fire, enabling his unit to reach the main bunker.
For his actions during the battle, Tzuriel was awarded the Itur HaMofet (Medal of Valor), Israel's third-highest military decoration. He was among eleven soldiers from the battle to receive the Medal of Valor; three others received the Medal of Courage, and Eitan Nava was posthumously awarded the Medal of Heroism, Israel's highest military honor.
