Sergeant First Class Yona Betzalel Brief, 23, was laid to rest at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery this afternoon after passing away on Tuesday. Sgt. Brief succumbed on Tuesday to wounds he sustained in combat on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas invasion and massacre in southern Israel. He served as a combat medic in the Duvdevan Unit, Commando Brigade, and was severely injured during combat in the communities near the Gaza Strip. He was hospitalized for over a year in Sheba Tel Hashomer Hospital. Yona's friend Yonatan eulogized him and said: "Every day you won anew, I whispered to you to keep living. We love you very much and we already miss you." Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, Director General of Sheba Medical Center, said, "Yona was a true hero, one of those you read about in history books. His story began long before the battle in Gaza City and ended in a heroic struggle that lasted 417 days. It is a story of a deep connection to the homeland, to good values, and to life itself. The story of a man who believed in the power of life and the power of values." Related articles: Widow of fallen soldier announces engagement Nadav Cohen and Nachman Refael Ben Ami fell in Gaza Two IDF reservists killed in Jordan Valley shooting attack 'Amit's beret is now yours - wear it with pride' He added, "He not only fought for his life. He also taught us all what it means to be an Israeli. About the strength of each of us if we just fight. As Yona taught me - Israeli society is a united and strong society even in the most difficult moments." "We did everything, everything possible - we decided to set up a special ward for him with only one patient, just so he could fight for his life so that one day we would be able to see him released," the hospital director said. Yona's brother called him "so pure, so righteous. You left a void in our hearts, a void in our people, a void so great that I don't know how it can be filled." "The other night, all of our siblings were sitting next to you, when suddenly one of the assistants entered the ward and we all started crying together without coordinating it in advance. We all knew how Yona treated her - he always asked how she was, he was really interested in how she was, and about her children, when he was lying in intensive care. I don't understand how a person lying in such a difficult situation could ask such questions. You always saw the other in a respectful way - that's who you were - boundless grace," he said.