Unsung Heroes: Lone Soldiers’ Bravery on the Frontlines Against Hamas

Jerusalem, 25 October, 2023 (TPS) -- “When we first got there, there were terrorists still alive, some dead… a lot of injured soldiers, dead soldiers, dead civilians, bodies everywhere.”

These are the words of a fighter in the IDF’s special forces Sayeret (Reconnaissance) Haruv unit, which was sent in to Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, the first day of the “Iron Swords” War. Be’eri was one of the Israeli kibbutzim near Gaza that were overrun by Hamas terrorists. An estimated 130 residents were killed and around 50 more were taken into Gaza as hostages.

D. was sitting drinking coffee with another Haruv fighter, L., at the Power CoffeeWorks coffee shop on Agrippas Street in central Jerusalem, across from the famed Mahane Yehuda outdoor market, known as the Shuk. They were in combat fatigues, not dress uniforms, which is unusual for regular army soldiers when in public places.

And it was easy to tell from their appearance, their uniforms, and the weapons they carried, that they had been in combat.

The two soldiers had a 12 hour leave. And they both had the neutral expression on their faces of people who have not yet fully absorbed the trauma of combat.

The names of IDF special forces soldiers – like combat pilots – are classified, they can only be referred to by their initials. But one thing the two had in common is that they both were Americans who had come to Israel to serve in the IDF. They are what is known as “lone soldiers,” as they are alone in Israel since their families are abroad.

They reached Be’eri after a first wave of soldiers had already gone in.

D. was 18 when he enlisted. He was born in Israel, his family moved to the US and he came back to serve in the IDF.

L. grew up in Scarsdale, New York and was already 23 years old when he began his military service. This is no easy feat for someone going into one of Israel’s special forces units. The extra five years in age makes a significant difference in physical stamina, as it is difficult to keep up with 18 year olds.

“All of Saturday night through Sunday, the entire night was basically a 14 hour battle,” said L. “Automatic [weapons] fire, machine guns, also explosions, as Hamas was shooting rockets at the kibbutz. The battle for Be’eri lasted until Sunday, and then we were there for a few more days.”

“When we got there we helped evacuate civilians and ZAKA help with the bodies,” he added. ZAKA is the Israeli organization that deals with human remains after accidents and terror attacks.

The two soldiers are both religious and were off for the holiday that day. They were back on base by 2 PM.

By Saturday night, only hours after leaving their homes, they and their unit were already in the thick of the fight at Kibbutz Be’eri near Gaza, which was then still occupied by Hamas terrorists.

Neither of them had ever been in combat before, yet they stood up to the situation and did their jobs as soldiers.

D. explained that one suffers a moment of shock, “but then it hits you, your training takes over, you follow orders and you are there with your team and you do what you have to do.”

Their unit fought for 48 straight hours, until the kibbutz was officially declared cleared of terrorists.

It is only due to the bravery of young men like these – kids, really – that there was not a greater disaster on October 7. They saved many lives — both civilians and soldiers — and eliminated hundreds of terrorists who will no longer be able to murder innocent people.