Bella, Yosef

Son of Miriam and Shlomo, was born in 1931 in Damascus, the capital of Syria, and completed a public school there. In 1944 he managed to cross the border near Hanita and arrive in Israel (his parents remained in Damascus). At first he stayed for a while with his sister in Haifa, where he joined the Histadrut HaNoar HaOved and went to training in Na’an and Givat Hashlosha. When he was in Haifa he belonged to the “Hish” company and was a talented athlete and a member of the “HaPoel” marine company. He was a strong guy, very quiet and always looking for work, and was even called “the man of work” by his friends. At the outbreak of the War of Independence he served in the Negev Brigade, participated in escorting convoys in the Negev, in the occupation of Breyer, was among the defenders of Yad Mordechai, and took part in evacuating the children from there. He was also was in Gvar am and participated in the bombing of the Deir-Sunaid bridge. During the first break, he went to Tel Aviv and took part in an operation against the Altalena. He then returned to the Negev. A day before the end of the truce, the Egyptians attacked and captured the Qawhba and Julikat outposts.Yosef fell In the battle of Julikat, on the first of Tammuz 5708 (July 7, 1948.) On the 5th of Tammuz 5711 (5.7.1951), he was transferred to the eternal military cemetery at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.