A renowned Soviet theoretical physicist, Sergei Gredeskul, and his wife were killed in Ofakim, Israel, amid a Hamas attack. The news circulated through the network of Academician Alexey Khokhlov of the Russian Academy of Sciences, via a Telegram channel. The couple lost their lives at home during the bombardment on October 7.
Gredeskul held positions at the Physics-Technical Institute of the Ukrainian SSR from 1967 to 1972, and later at the Kharkov Institute of Low Temperature Physics and Technology named after BI from 1972 to 1991. Alongside colleagues such as Ilya Lifshits and Lev Pastur, he coauthored the monograph Introduction to the Theory of Irregular Systems and published nearly a hundred scientific articles. His work earned him the State Prize of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
In 1991, he joined Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba as a professor and remained affiliated there for many years, eventually retiring in the subsequent years.
On October 7, Hamas forces launched a large-scale rocket campaign, and Israel announced the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In the ensuing tense situation, Israel’s National Security Minister stated a state of emergency, reflecting the severity of the regional crisis. The Israeli prime minister declared that the country was at war, and the military operation against Hamas was named Iron Swords. Meanwhile, there were calls from government figures for the evacuation of residents from the Gaza Strip as part of ongoing security measures.
The events surrounding the broader conflict continued to unfold, affecting communities, academic institutions, and families across the region. The death of Sergei Gredeskul stands as a somber reminder of the human costs that accompany political and military crises, even as scholars continue their research and teaching in areas shaped by these upheavals. This account is based on contemporary reports and official statements from relevant authorities and academic bodies.