Omer Balva, a dual Israeli-American citizen who grew up in Rockville, was killed on Friday night in an anti-tank missile attack along the Lebanese border, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Saturday (per The Times of Israel). “A message has been given to his family,” the IDF said in a statement. “The IDF shares in the family’s grief and will continue to support them.”
According to various reports, Balva was in the United States when he was called to service last week and flew to Israel. He grew up in Rockville, where he attended the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (class of 2019). The school releases the following statement on Saturday: “CESJDS mourns the loss of Omer Balva ’19. Omer was proudly serving in the Israeli Defense Forces having been recently called up for reserve duty. He was a beloved student who attended CESJDS from age seven through his high school graduation. Omer was an unabashed advocate for the State of Israel. He is a hero to the State of Israel, the Jewish people, and the school. We are devastated and heartbroken.”