A man wounded by an Iranian ballistic missile in April during Operation Roaring Lion has died of his wounds, the Haifa municipality announced on Wednesday.
Michael Katz, 82, was in an apartment building directly hit by a missile and later spent over three months in the hospital before succumbing to his wounds.
The same missile strike also killed four of Katz's neighbors, all from the same family.
"On that terrible Sunday, my life was shattered by an Iranian missile strike," Katz's wife, Nina, said.
"I was given the gift of a new life, and for that I am grateful to the Creator - and on the other hand, from this day forward, I will live my new life as half a human being after 55 years of marriage. It will not be easy, and I will forever miss the perfection that my beloved Michael gave to our life together, to our children and to our grandchildren. Michael was a great person to be around, a man with great joie de vivre who loved life and knew how to enjoy it. Everyone who met him fell in love with him immediately. He will be missed not only by us, but also by all his acquaintances."
Haifa mayor praises work at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
Haifa's mayor also mourned Katz's death, praising his dedication to the state through his work at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
"Michael dedicated his life to the security of the State of Israel through his work at Rafael, and was injured in his home in a criminal attack targeting civilians in the heart of Haifa," Mayor Yona Yahav said.
"For three months, we accompanied his fight for his life with hope, and this morning we said goodbye to him with great pain."
Katz's funeral is scheduled to take place on Thursday in Haifa. He leaves behind Nina, as well as his sons Itamar and Yoav, and six grandchildren.