Israeli Shin Bet security service agent Amir Maimoni, 29, was killed Tuesday night. Photo: Shin Bet.

JNS.org – Israeli Shin Bet security service agent Amir Maimoni, 29, was killed Tuesday night while on operational duty near the Gaza Strip. Thousands gathered on Wednesday to lay him to rest at a military cemetery in southern Israel.

Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen, who eulogized Maimoni, confirmed that he was killed by friendly fire from a fellow unit member. The Shin Bet, Israel’s clandestine internal security agency, opened an investigation into the circumstances leading to the tragic incident.

Cohen said, “This was another necessary and complex operation in which you took part as a fighter and commander, same as you have done these past two years since joining our ranks. You did this out of a sense of duty and desire to contribute to the security of the people and country. Your family…which is deeply rooted [to the country] and is sadly no stranger to bereavement, instilled in you the values, sense of duty and desire to contribute. Unfortunately, there was a tragic operational development that took place last night during a mission in the field….As a result, a fellow Shin Bet officer misidentified [Maimoni] and shot at Amir, hitting him. All efforts to revive him were for naught.”

Maimoni’s father, Efraim, said of his son: “We don’t know what Amir did within the framework of his job, but we know he was a hero.”