While Dror Hanin, 38, HY”D was not the first fatality during Operation Protective Edge, his death was the first directly from rocket fire. Others sustained injuries running for cover or suffered a heart attack during the siren.

Hanin, who lived with his wife and three children in Beit Aryeh, was known for his passion to perform chessed for anyone and everyone. Beit Aryeh council head Avi Noam, a friend, spoke with Kikar Shabbos, explaining the niftar was a close friend, “like a brother”, adding “I simply do not know anyone better. A man whose entire being was doing chessed for others, always giving of himself, always there when there was a need for volunteers”. The levaya for Hanin is set to take place in the Beit Aryeh Beis Hachaim at 16:30.

Friends from his community explain he volunteered with many organizations, and in this case, they organized packages for soldiers near the Gaza border. They traveled to the Erez area where they were distributing packages when the sirens wailed. Dror did exactly what he was supposed to, getting down on the ground and covering his head with his hands. His friend who accompanied him sustained light injuries. Their vehicle was hit hard as was Dror, who was hit with shrapnel in his chest. He went into traumatic cardiac arrest and despite CPR and advanced life support resuscitation, the medical teams were unable to save him. He was pronounced dead in Barzilai Hospital.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo from the family)