In a separate incident, a reservist non-commissioned officer was severely wounded during combat in the central Gaza Strip.

Kaplan beat the odds and is affixing a mezuzah in his new home in Har Hazeitim in Jerusalem.

Kfir: 'With every breath I take, I will perpetuate his memory.'

Just before Yom HaZikaron, the solder stood for the first time since October, danced and sang

The army has brought the time between the moment of injury and seeing a senior medical practitioner to under four minutes, and in many cases under one minute.

Belev Echad, is a New York-based organization that supports wounded Israeli soldiers healing from physical and mental injuries.