In a haunting recording that has emerged after his death, Captain Avraham Ben Pinchas, a 23-year-old Israeli Armored Corps officer killed in southern Gaza yesterday (Saturday), left explicit instructions about what should happen if he were captured by Hamas.
"I am Avraham Ben Pinchas, ID number 8626693," he stated in the recording. "If I am kidnapped or if they take my body, I request that no terrorist be released in exchange, and the war must not be stopped under any circumstances to secure my freedom."
Ben Pinchas's message carries particular weight in the context of Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas, where prisoner exchanges and negotiations for hostages have been contentious issues since the October 7 attacks.
The young officer, who lived in the West Bank settlement of Harsha, was killed during military operations in Gaza. His death adds another layer of tragedy to a family that lost his sister, Efrat, in a car accident just four years ago. He is survived by his parents and nine siblings.
Israel Gantz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council where Ben Pinchas lived, paid tribute to the fallen officer: "We bow our heads at the fall of the heroic Avraham, a respected officer who led his soldiers in battle against the enemy in Gaza. Their mission was clear: to destroy the threat and return the hostages."
Gantz acknowledged the family's compound grief, noting, "Four years ago, we had to inform them of their daughter Efrat's death - this is heartbreak upon heartbreak."
The recording represents a growing trend among Israeli soldiers who, mindful of Hamas's tactics of taking hostages, have left similar messages expressing their wishes should they be captured. These personal directives reflect the complex moral and strategic questions Israel faces in its approach to hostage negotiations and military operations.
Local support teams from both the settlement and regional council are providing assistance to the Ben Pinchas family during this difficult time.
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