Elitzur (Tzuri) Hagbi, 60, and his cousin Yizhar Hagbi, 66, were murdered by Hamas terrorists in Moshav Yakhini near the Gaza border on October 7.
Yizhar was shot dead inside his parent’s sukkah, a ritual temporary dwelling commemorating the biblical harvest festival, early that morning, shortly after terrorists had invaded the town, not far from Sderot.
Next door, Elitzur was also shot outside his home as the terrorists continued their rampage, and while he managed to get himself inside, he died there of his wounds.
Overall, six people were killed in Yakhini on October 7, including another relative, 18-year-old Yehonatan Hagbi, as well as Maj. Peleg Salem, Israel Police Sgt. Ravit Assayag and Ilan Avraham, who had fled to the town from the Supernova festival.
Yizhar’s funeral was held on October 18 in Mabu’im, and he was buried in Yakhini. He is survived by his parents, Ilana and Shlomo, and his younger siblings.
Elitzur was also buried in Yakhini. He is survived by his children, twins Topaz and Koral, and his siblings.
According to Army Radio, Elitzur’s “heart belonged to his children, twins, whom he never stopped mentioning. In the family, they’re always there for each other, and of course — he was waiting for grandchildren.”
On his gravestone, Elitzur’s family wrote: “You were our whole world, and you will stay in our hearts forever. We’re parting from your body, but not your soul. Thank you for your endless love and care.”
Yizhar’s brother, Yariv Hagbi, wrote on Facebook a month after he was killed that the time for the wheat harvest had arrived, a period that “every year brings us back to the views of our childhood and our family traditions.”
“My brother Yizhar led the way, and as a kid, he was overjoyed anew every time during this season,” he added. “Who will harvest the fields now? How will we maintain the joy of the harvest when you’re not here?… This year we planted the wheat with endless tears, in your honor.”
On Memorial Day, Yizhar described his brother as having “a captivating smile, salt of the earth — every day my heart breaks anew.”
