Maj. Harel Birenstock, killed by an IED in southern Lebanon, was buried Thursday at Har HaMenuchot in Jerusalem. His wife and mother delivered eulogies, with his wife promising the children would grow up in a happy home with dancing and songs.
Maj. Harel Birenstock, a 34-year-old company commander in the IDF's 55th Paratroopers Reserve Brigade, was laid to rest Thursday at Har HaMenuchot in Jerusalem. He was killed on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, when an explosive device detonated as his unit entered a building in the village of Majdal Zoun in southern Lebanon. The incident also claimed the life of Chief Master Sgt. Tamir Vaknin and left four other soldiers severely wounded. The IDF characterized the attack as a violation of the ceasefire by Hezbollah operatives, as The Zioneer previously reported.
At the funeral, Birenstock's wife eulogized him, promising their children would grow up in a happy home with dancing and songs. His mother Yonat wept: 'Enough of this pain that tears the soul.' His father Shlomo remembered him as 'full of joy and mischief, but also full of seriousness.'
Journalist Eliya Aviv, reporting from the funeral, quoted a fellow soldier: 'Harel told his soldiers that this was the last time they were crossing the border, because this time they wouldn't return without victory.' Witnesses noted that Birenstock had been eager to return to Lebanon for the current operation.
Birenstock, a resident of Nokdim in Judea and Samaria, is survived by his wife and children. The Gush Etzion Regional Council eulogized him as a leader who embodied the sacrifice of reserve families. A photo circulating on social media showed his young daughter standing at his grave.
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