Oct 29, 2007 - IDF reservist St.-Sgt. Maj. Ehud Efrati, 34, of Beit Yehoshua was killed in an exchange of fire with Palestinian terrorists in southern Gaza Strip, near the Sufa crossing.
Shortly after midnight, a force from a reserve parachute battalion was engaged in a routine operation along the security fence near the Sufa Crossing in southern Gaza Strip. The battalion has been operating for three weeks along the fence, in order to prevent the digging of tunnels, planting of explosive devices, infiltration attempts into Israeli communities, shooting attacks against Israeli farmers on their land near the fence, and the firing of rockets and mortar shells into Israel. It has clashed four times with Palestinian gunmen during which five terrorists were killed and others wounded.
The soldiers identified two armed Palestinians moving toward the fence, and a squad raced forward. The Palestinians responded with gunfire, and one of the bullets struck a grenade St.-Sgt. Maj. Ehud Efrati carried on his combat vest causing it to explode, mortally wounding him. A Hamas terrorist was killed in the exchange of fire.
Brig.-Gen. Moshe Tamir, head of the Gaza Division, said that Hamas was trying to establish a bunker system as well as fortified rocket-launching and surveillance positions along the security fence with the Gaza Strip.
Ehud Efrati, youngest son of a well-known family from Zichron Ya'akov, was the great-grandson of David Sokolovitch and related to the Aaronson family, members of the NILI underground organization, which during World War I engaged in active espionage for Great Britain. After completing his army service in an elite paratrooper unit, he studied agronomy before returning to work in his family's orchards.
Efrati moved to Beit Yehoshua with his wife and children three years ago, but continued to work in the orchards around Zichron Ya'akov. His brother Yoav described him as someone who loved the land and the country. He volunteered for combat reserve duty in order to help defend his country.
St.-Sgt. Maj. Ehud Efrati was buried at the Zichron Ya'akov cemetery. He is survived by his wife Miri, three children aged 5, 4 and four months, parents, a brother and a sister.