The life and death of Ori Arad, the Israeli soldier who died saving a family from Hamas rockets

Ori Arad was a 22-year-old Israeli soldier who died on Saturday, October 7, 2023, while trying to save the lives of strangers from a Hamas attack on the town of Sderot. He was one of the 12 Israelis killed in the unprecedented assault by the Palestinian militant group, which also claimed the lives of more than 500 Palestinians in Gaza as Israel retaliated with airstrikes and a blockade.

A hero’s sacrifice

According to eyewitnesses and media reports, Arad was off duty and visiting his girlfriend in Sderot when he heard sirens warning of incoming rockets from Gaza. He ran out of the house and saw a car with a family inside that had been hit by shrapnel. Ori Arad rushed to help them, but another rocket landed nearby and killed him instantly. The family he tried to save survived with minor injuries.

Arad’s girlfriend, Shira Cohen, said he was a kind and brave person who always wanted to help others. “He was my soulmate, my best friend, my everything,” she said in a tearful interview. “He died as a hero, but he was a hero in life too.”

His parents, Yossi and Tali, said they were proud of their son’s courage and generosity. “He was always smiling, always optimistic, always ready to lend a hand,” they said in a statement. “He loved his country and his people, and he gave his life for them.”

A soldier’s dream

Ori Arad was born in Haifa and grew up in Kiryat Bialik, a suburb of the northern city. He had two older sisters, Shani and Noga, who described him as a loving brother and a loyal friend. He enjoyed playing soccer, listening to music, and traveling.

He joined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 2021 and served in the Golani Brigade, an elite infantry unit. He was trained as a combat medic and participated in several operations along the Gaza border. He was due to finish his mandatory service in November 2023 and planned to study medicine at Tel Aviv University.

His commander, Lt. Col. Yair Ben-David, said Arad was an exemplary soldier who excelled in his duties and cared for his comrades. “He was a leader, a professional, and a friend,” he said. “He had a bright future ahead of him, and he dreamed of becoming a doctor. He was taken from us too soon.”

A nation’s mourning

Arad’s death sparked an outpouring of grief and admiration from across Israel. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called him “a true hero of Israel” and praised his selflessness and bravery. President Isaac Herzog said he represented “the best of our young generation” and expressed his condolences to his family. Defense Minister Benny Gantz said he embodied “the spirit of Golani” and vowed to continue the fight against Hamas.

Thousands of people attended Arad’s funeral on Sunday, October 8, 2023, at the military cemetery in Haifa. Among them were his girlfriend, his family, his friends, his fellow soldiers, and many strangers who came to pay their respects. They sang songs, recited prayers, and shared stories about his life. They also placed flowers, flags, and candles on his grave.

Ori Arad’s name will be added to the list of more than 23,000 Israelis who have fallen in defense of their country since its establishment in 1948. His memory will be honored every year on Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day), along with those of other victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A conflict’s context

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political struggle over land, identity, and rights in the Middle East. It dates back to the late 19th century, when Zionism emerged as a nationalist movement among Jews who sought to establish a homeland in their ancestral territory of Palestine. The conflict intensified after World War I, when Britain took control of Palestine from the Ottoman Empire and issued the Balfour Declaration, which promised to support the creation of a Jewish national home there.

The conflict escalated after World War II, when the United Nations proposed to partition Palestine into two states: one for Jews and one for Arabs. The plan was rejected by the Arab states and Palestinian leaders, who saw it as an unjust division of their land. In 1948, Israel declared its independence amid a war with its Arab neighbors and local militias. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes during the war, creating a refugee crisis that persists to this day.

The conflict continued over the following decades, with several wars, uprisings, and peace efforts. In 1967, Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip from Jordan and Egypt in the Six-Day War. These territories, along with the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula, became known as the occupied Palestinian territories. Israel later annexed East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, but withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982 as part of a peace treaty with Egypt.

In 1993, Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) signed the Oslo Accords, which established a framework for a two-state solution based on mutual recognition and land-for-peace principles. The accords created the Palestinian Authority (PA), a self-governing entity that administers parts of the West Bank and Gaza. However, the accords left many unresolved issues, such as the status of Jerusalem, the fate of Israeli settlements, the borders of a future Palestinian state, the security arrangements, and the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

The peace process stalled in 2000, after a failed summit at Camp David and the outbreak of the Second Intifada, a violent uprising by Palestinians against Israeli occupation. The violence subsided in 2005, when Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza and dismantled its settlements there. However, the situation deteriorated again in 2006, when Hamas, an Islamist militant group that rejects Israel’s existence and opposes the Oslo Accords, won the Palestinian legislative elections and took over Gaza after a brief civil war with Fatah, the secular party that dominates the PA and the PLO.

Since then, Israel and Hamas have fought four wars: in 2008-2009, 2012, 2014, and 2023. The wars have caused thousands of casualties on both sides and inflicted severe damage on Gaza’s infrastructure and economy. Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza since 2007, restricting the movement of people and goods in and out of the enclave. Israel says the blockade is necessary to prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons and launching attacks. Hamas says the blockade is a form of collective punishment that violates international law and human rights.

The latest round of violence erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on several towns in southern Israel with rockets, drones, and infiltrators. Hamas said it was responding to Israeli violations of Palestinian rights in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Israel said it was defending its sovereignty and citizens from Hamas aggression.

Ori Arad Trivia

Name	Ori Arad
Date of birth	April 15, 2001
Place of birth	Haifa, Israel
Date of death	October 7, 2023
Place of death	Sderot, Israel
Cause of death	Rocket attack by Hamas
Occupation	Soldier in the IDF
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	Golani Brigade
Role	Combat medic

Quick Summary

• Ori was a 22-year-old Israeli soldier who died while trying to save a family from a Hamas rocket attack on Sderot.
• He was off duty and visiting his girlfriend when he heard sirens warning of incoming rockets from Gaza.
• He ran out of the house and saw a car with a family inside that had been hit by shrapnel.
• Ori Arad rushed to help them, but another rocket landed nearby and killed him instantly.
• The family he tried to save survived with minor injuries.
• He was one of the 12 Israelis killed in the unprecedented assault by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
• He was also one of more than 500 Palestinians killed in Gaza as Israel retaliated with airstrikes and a blockade.
• Arad was born in Haifa and grew up in Kiryat Bialik.
• He had two older sisters, Shani and Noga.
• He enjoyed playing soccer, listening to music, and traveling.
• Arad joined the IDF in 2021 and served in the Golani Brigade as a combat medic.
• He was due to finish his service in November 2023 and planned to study medicine at Tel Aviv University.
• He was praised by his girlfriend, his family, his friends, and his fellow soldiers.