Apr 16, 2008 - Sgt. David Papian, 21, of Tel Aviv was one of three IDF soldiers killed in a confrontation with armed Palestinian gunmen approached the security fence south of the Nahal Oz fuel terminal.
At around 6 am soldiers manning an IDF observation post near the security fence between Israel and Gaza identified a terror cell of six Palestinian gunmen approaching the fence near Kibbutz Be'eri in an apparent attempt to infiltrate Israel. A force from Givati's Tzabar Battalion confronted the terrorists. In the exchange of fire, three soldiers were killed. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.
David Papian immigrated to Israel with his family in 1991, but returned to Armenia several years later. After David completed high school, the family returned to Israel - David in order to serve in the army. His father, Vag Papian, a well-known pianist and conductor who teaches music at Tel-Aviv University, received the news of his son's death while on tour in Kazakhstan. A family member described David as a nice, quiet boy.
Sgt. David Papian was buried in the Mt. Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem. He is survived by his parents, Vag and Karina, and sister Anyuta, 16.