(Courtesy of Gush Regional Council) The IDF shared that among the 21 soldiers killed in Gaza on January 22, Sergent Major (res.) Yuval Lopez of Alon Shvut, and Ariel Mordechai Wolfstal of Elazar HY”D fell in battle.

Lopez (27), is the son of Yocheved and Yohai Lopez from Givat Ha’Hish in Alon Shvut, married to Sigalit, and the father of three daughters, the youngest only eight months old. They now live in Kfar Tapuach. Yuval’s family made aliyah from Peru when he was six, and he studied at Efrat’s Orot Yehuda high school.

Yuval is the fifth to fall since the start of the war from Alon Shvut. His funeral will take place this afternoon at the Mount Herzl cemetery.

Ariel Mordechai Wolfstal is the eldest son of Volly and Chili and the husband of Sapir. Just this week he celebrated his wedding anniversary.

Ariel studied at the Derech Ha’Avot high school, and at the Yatir mechina. Just six months ago, he received a degree in economics and business administration and was working at an investment firm in Tel Aviv.

His funeral was scheduled to be held on January 23 in the military section of the cemetery in Kfar Etzion.

The head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, Shlomo Ne’eman, eulogized them both:

“Just yesterday evening I met Cheli, Ariel’s mother, who organized an event for families of those who were called up for reserve service, and this morning we are gathering to prepare the funeral and shiva for her eldest son.

“Two of our best sons fell in this war defending the existence of our country, and Gush Etzion deeply mourns their passing. We send our condolences to the Wolfstal and Lopez families and pray together with the entire nation of Israel for better days.”