IDF Captain Ziv Daus, 21, was murdered in a car-ramming attack on Friday March 16. Ziv and other soldiers were standing outside their base near Mevo Dotan. A terrorist saw the group and accelerated his vehicle directly at the soldiers. Ziv and Lt. Netanel Kahalani were killed instantly.
Ziv was 21 years old when he was killed. He was the oldest child in the family, and is survived by his parents and two sisters.
Family members describe Ziv as a quiet, modest man, who looked out for the needs of others and cared deeply about his country. He worked hard to raise his IDF profile so that he could join a combat unit to defend his people. He was killed almost exactly three years after he joined the army.
At his funeral, Ziv’s cousin Yuval said Ziv was the first member of the family to achieve the rank of officer. “It’s hard for me to talk about you in past tense. You’ve always been a true leader. You led and aspired to be an excellent officer,” he said.
Ziv was a member of the Home Front Command’s rescue unit, and was the unit’s first casualty to occur during operational activities. His father’s uncle Yisrael was killed in combat during the Yom Kippur war.
“You did everything to become a combat soldier. You did it with excellence and went to commanders’ course, where you stood out and were ranked among the first in your class,” said Itach, the IDF’s representative and the Commander of Ziv’s Battalion.
“The soldiers under your command followed you blindly… you were prepared for any mission and set a personal example to your soldiers… your soldiers described your smile as one that charms all.”
After the funeral, the family gathered at Ziv’s grave to cry together. His mother burst into deep tears. “Who is now going to tell me, ‘Mom, thank God everything is okay’?”