Shneior Zalman Cohen, 20, HYD

Shneior Zalman Cohen, the 20-year-old son of a Chabad family from the community of Yitzhar in Samaria, fell in a courageous battle against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Samaria Regional Council announced his passing on Motzei Shabbos.

Shneior, who served in the IDF Givati Brigade, was the son of Zeev and Dina Cohen and had eight siblings. He grew up in Yitzhar and studied at the Yitzhar Yeshiva, belonging to a well-established Chabad family in the area.

Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, paid tribute to him: “Shneior was a person of inner grace, radiating outward—his essence matched his appearance. He was both a devoted Torah scholar and a skilled fighter; before his enlistment, he also volunteered with the local emergency response team.”

Dagan highlighted the legacy of Shneior’s parents, Ze’ev and Dina Cohen, who moved to Sha’ar Negev during the height of the Oslo War—the Second Intifada—to strengthen the northern Samaria communities. “They are dedicated individuals committed to the needs of the community. His father has been volunteering for reserve duty to protect the region since October 7. The Samaria Regional Council will support the family in all their needs; the entire community of Samaria mourns and embraces the Cohen family.”

He continued, “I have known the family for over 20 years. We are saddened, but we will never be broken; we will continue to support the IDF and the settlement movement. It hurts deeply, but we pledge: we will never break! We will strengthen the IDF and empower the security forces and the State of Israel to triumph. We will further bolster the settlement efforts—in Yitzhar, throughout Judea and Samaria, in the Gaza perimeter, and along the northern border. From the valor of these holy souls, we will prevail.”

Golan Ivgi, chairman of the Yitzhar Secretariat, shared his condolences: “The Almighty gathers roses for His garden, and indeed, Shneior was a flower—a serious, pioneering youth. Even before his enlistment in the IDF, he volunteered to assist as a deputy commander, spending the entire period of the conflict up until his enlistment working with the emergency response team. The entire Yitzhar community grieves alongside this pioneering family, and we will continue to fight for the existence of our state until victory is achieved.”