Merhavia, Amichai-Yaakov-Shimshon
Amichai, the second son of Tova and Moshe Merhavia, was born on the 8th of Tevet 5742 (January 1982) in Talmei Yosef. On Wednesday, 1 Av 5766, at dawn, during a brigade raid on the town of Bint Jbeil, the force advanced and tried to break into the building in order to make an ambush out of it. During the break-in, the Spear department encountered Hizbullah terrorists who were behind it. The battle took place in an olive grove surrounded by stone walls, and lasted for more than ten hours continuously until the enemy surrendered. About forty terrorists were killed. Amichai led his platoon to storm the enemy in a flanking right under heavy fire from short range. The terrorists hid behind the walls and IDF soldiers among the olive trees in the yard, and Amichai was hit by two bullets in his right arm and was later critically wounded and killed by a hand grenade that exploded next to him, killing seven soldiers and commanders: Major Roi Klein, Captain Alex Schwartzman, Sergeant First Sergeant Shimon Dahan, First Sergeant Ohad Klausner, Sergeant Asaf Nimer and Sergeant Shimon Adga. About 30 soldiers were wounded. The next day, Amichai was brought to eternal rest in the military section of the Eli cemetery. He was twenty-four years old when he fell. Survived by his parents and nine brothers and sisters: Emunah, Shira, Yigal, Orit, Eliezer, Tehila, Yair, Avraham and Bracha.
