Michael Katz, H’yd, an 82-year-old resident of Haifa, was niftar on Wednesday morning from wounds he sustained over three months ago when an Iranian ballistic missile struck his apartment building during Operation Roaring Lion.

On April 5, 2026, an Iranian missile scored a direct hit on a six-story apartment building in Haifa, destroying its lower three floors and critically injuring Michael. Rescue forces pulled him from the rubble and rushed him to Ramban Hospital, where they fought to save his life.

Four members of the Gershovitz family, Michael’s neighbors, were killed in the same strike, the deadliest Haifa suffered during the war.

Katz worked at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems for decades, contributing to Israel’s security, and received the Rafael Prize for his work. He is survived by his wife, Nina, his sons, Itamar and Yoav, and six grandchildren.

Michael’s wife, Nina, who was lightly wounded in the attack, said: “On that terrible Sunday, my life was shattered in an instant by an Iranian missile. I was given the gift of a new life, and for that I thank the Borei Olam. But from this day forward, I will live that new life as half a person after 55 years of marriage.”

“It will not be easy, and I will forever miss the wholeness that my beloved Michael brought to our shared life, to our children, and our grandchildren. Michael was sociable and full of joy, a man who loved life and knew how to enjoy it. Everyone who met him immediately fell in love with him. He will be missed not only by us, but by everyone who knew him.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)