Newsletter
Newsletter Support JNS

Family of fallen IDF soldier donates corneas, saving sight of two people

St. Sgt. Ido Baruch was securing a march in Samaria when he was killed in a drive-by terror shooting.

Israel Defense Forces Staff Seargant Ido Baruch was killed in a Palestinian terrorist attack in Samaria on Oct. 11, 2022. Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit.
Israel Defense Forces Staff Seargant Ido Baruch was killed in a Palestinian terrorist attack in Samaria on Oct. 11, 2022. Credit: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.

The family of an Israeli soldier who was killed last week in a drive-by shooting in Samaria has donated his corneas to two people, saving their eyesight, Israeli media reported on Monday.

The recipients, both in their 80s, “Were moved to tears when they heard about the identity of the donor,” Walla reported.

Baruch was securing a civilian march near Shavei Shomron in northern Samaria when he was shot from a moving vehicle. He was evacuated to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba, where he succumbed to his wounds.

He was laid to rest in his home city of Gedera, south of Tel Aviv, last Wednesday.

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said: “After years in which sites were neglected or looted, Israel is making historical corrections.”
Using this phrase against Israel is no less absurd than labeling sport-hooliganism and violence at mass demonstrations in the West as officially sponsored, government-sanctioned violence.
“Nearly eight years after the shooting, our gratitude and admiration for the heroic bravery and selfless dedication of the first responders that day endures,” said U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti.
Yitzhak Ben-Hebron escaped Arab riots as a child and later returned to rebuild the Jewish community in the city.
Army Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers III said that future conflicts will require allied special operations forces to integrate quickly and operate with compatible systems.
“The strength and resilience you and your families demonstrate throughout the recovery and rehabilitation process inspire the entire nation of Israel,” the IDF chief said.