‘We have no anger toward him’: Family forgives IDF sniper who killed their son in friendly fire incident

IDF Staff Sergeant Ofri Yafe, 21, who was killed by friendly fire in the southern Gaza Strip, will be laid to rest today. In an interview with KAN News “Midday” radio program, Yafe's father, Yiftach, shared his anger, grief, and forgiveness toward the soldier who accidentally shot his son.

“Ofri filled the house with light,” his father said. “He was a beautiful boy with so much charisma. After Oct. 7 [2023], he always looked for ways to help. He volunteered in agriculture in the Gaza Envelope. We taught them from birth to get involved and to give.”

Yiftach expressed frustration about what he described as the unnecessary risk that led to his son’s death.

“The war was justified beyond measure, but once it was over, there was no reason for the paratroopers to be there. Everything could have been done without endangering the soldiers. We knew what he was doing there, and we were very worried.”

“We have no complaints against the army; our anger is toward the government that sends our sons there,” he said. Speaking about the incident in which Yafe fell, he added, “He was part of a team that was securing a structure. A sniper identified him as an enemy and shot him. He was killed almost instantly.”

Yiftach said he does not hold anger toward the sniper or the unit: “The sniper is supposed to come – he will be at the funeral. We will embrace him. We want to save his soul, to show that we have no anger toward him.”

Ofri Yafe, from Moshav HaYogev, was a fighter in the Paratrooper Brigade’s Reconnaissance Unit who was killed by friendly fire during an incident in the Khan Younis area of the southern Gaza Strip. The IDF Spokesperson announced that he fell “during combat in the southern Gaza Strip.” Yafe is the 924th soldier to die in the war.

Yafe was the second of four siblings. He graduated from Megiddo Regional High School and loved surfing, hiking, and spending time with his family and friends. 

He served in the Paratrooper Brigade’s Reconnaissance Unit for two years and two months. 

The Yafe family said: “We are devastated by this tragedy and cannot come to terms with the loss of our beloved son, Ofri. It is incomprehensible.”

A preliminary investigation into the incident indicated that a two-sided exchange of fire occurred in the Yellow Line area between two units of the Paratrooper Brigade that had set out on a routine mission to search and clear buildings.