Israeli cabinet minister and former military chief Gadi Eizenkot is consoled by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as he attends the funeral of his son Gal Meir Eisenkot, 25, an Israeli solider, who was killed in northern Gaza during the ongoing ground operation by Israel’s military in the Gaza Strip, in Herzliya, Israel, Dec. 8, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Israeli War Cabinet Minister Gadi Eisenkot eulogized his son on Friday morning, after he was killed in battle the prior day while fighting Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

First Sergeant Gal Eisenkot, 25, a medic and infantry fighter in Battalion 699 in the 551st Reserve Brigade, fell in combat in northern Gaza.

The elder Eisenkot, a former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff, spoke of his son’s love for his country and his ultimate sacrifice.

“I am sure that the State of Israel will be strong, developed, and just — as you always used to criticize things that you did not like about what is happening here,” he said. “Gal, beloved of our hearts, I promise you that we will continue to be a close-knit and happy family so that your sacrifice and that of the fallen was not in vain.”

Eisenkot choked up as he spoke to the crowd of thousands, which included Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and other prominent members of the Israeli military and government.

“We love you forever — father, mother, and the whole family,” he said. “I salute you and pledge to you that we will do everything so that we will be deserving to contribute to the right decisions for those who sacrificed for your comrades in arms and for the entire Israeli people who embrace us in this difficult time.”

The former IDF chief of staff noted that his late son, the youngest of five children, was ready to act in defense of Israel immediately after Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israeli communities.

“On Oct. 7, we all woke up to a shocking event. You immediately began to organize equipment,” he said. “In a conversation about the war in Gaza, you told me that you and your comrades in the company feel that this is a just war. That we must return all the hostages and defeat Hamas after the barbaric and cruel event they committed. You also told me this in other conversations.”

The younger Eisenkot’s unit representative, Lt. Col. Eran Barkat, told the crowd that Gal “performed a significant service … We will continue to do everything in our power to restore peace and security to the State of Israel with the light of a wave accompanying our path.”

Benny Gantz — another member of Israel’s war cabinet, the leader of Eisenkot’s party, and a close friend of his — added, “What makes a young, talented guy, the joker of the family, leave everything and go into battle? The home. Your home, our home, the State of Israel, which is perhaps in its most difficult hour. The home from which they grew and grew, which teaches them to love it, to shout after it, and to follow it.”

He continued: “Gadi, when we approved [battle] plans we knew their meaning. We knew that the arrows on the maps could become arrows in the hearts of such good and dear families. You, my brother in arms, my partner, you, and your family are the embodiment of personal giving, of placing the national interest above all personal consideration. You understood the meaning very well. In the last few weeks, your big heart did not let you rest. In front of every family of a kidnapped or abducted [Israel], in front of every whole family, they were all your sons, they were all your daughters.”

Since the war’s outbreak on Oct. 7, about 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed fighting the Hamas terror group.