Doctor, reserve soldier found dead in IDF uniform in southern Israel

Avi Harlev, a doctor at the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon and a lieutenant colonel (res.) in the IDF, was found on Tuesday night shot to death in the Lahav Forest north of Beersheba, according to Israeli media.

Harlev, 50, from Sansana, a settlement south of Hebron, was the director of the Fertility and IVF Unit at Barzilai and served as a reservist in the 7th Brigade of the Armored Corps, according to Channel 13. He leaves behind a wife, five children and two granddaughters.

The doctor was on his way home in uniform from a meeting with his reserves unit before he was found in the Lahav forest.

The hospital eulogized Harlev as a “beloved person with a wide heart and a captivating personality that impressed and entered the hearts of everyone who knew him – staff and patients alike.”

“Harlev gave with all his heart and abilities to his colleagues and patients, and everyone who met him could not help but be impressed by his personal charm and personality,” Barzilai said in an announcement.

“Harlev, a lieutenant colonel (res.), excelled in his field and is considered a prodigy, leader and pioneer,” explained the hospital, adding that he was “a renowned expert in gynecology and fertility, one of the founders of the International Society for Repetitive Pregnancy, was heavily involved in research, academia and training interns and students, published dozens of significant scientific articles, was involved in writing and editing medical books, and led the in vitro fertilization unit in Barzilai to unprecedented achievements. He initiated many innovations at the medical center, such as egg donations, fertility preservation and genetic testing for fetuses.”

The background of the incident is being investigated, and while the police do not currently suspect that this was a terrorist attack, his family is requesting that the possibility be investigated, according to Ynet.