Those who knew the officer say he was regarded as a prodigy in the field of computers, which he studied in high school. At age 16, he participated in a program to encourage high-tech entrepreneurship for young people and completed a bachelor’s degree in computer science. He joined the Israel Defense Forces in March 2016 and served in an intelligence branch tech unit.

His friends told Haaretz he was an idealistic and brilliant individual who succeeded in all the assignments he was given. “He was a man of values and ideals, and they guided him in his work and in his philosophy of life,” said one.