An Israeli military reservist has been killed in the Gaza Strip a few weeks after having participated in a television program that chooses the presentation of the country for the Eurovision Song Contest. Shaul Greenglick26, starred in ‘Israel’s Rising Star’ on December 3 while on leave from participating in the war against Hamas.

Dressed in a military uniform, he sang a popular ballad and made it to the next round of the selection process. One of the judges, Keren Peles, told Greenglick on stage: “I’m glad to see you in uniform, because it’s reassuring that someone like you wears a uniform. I would love to see you representing Israel at Eurovision“.

Peles, after Greenglick’s death in the northern Gaza clashes was publicized on Tuesday, confirmed that he had left the program due to his duties in the infantry reserves. “I imagined this year differently, as a year of aspirations and living my dreams“Greenglick said in a Dec. 14 post on Facebook, which mentioned his work as a travel health advisor.

“Now I’m living an old dream, that of fighting for the country… A new and different dream will have to wait a while,” he added. At least 166 soldiers have been killed in the Israeli offensive in Gaza, launched after Hamas gunmen killed more than 1,200 people and kidnapped some 240 in the south on October 7. More than 21,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza during the war. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will be held in May in Malmo, Sweden.