Since the unexpected assault by Hamas on October 7, 2023, the toll on IDF has been profound, with 800 soldiers giving their lives to protect the nation. Among them, 757 men and 43 women have fallen, including 28 during the ongoing operation in the northern Gaza Strip, especially around Jabaliya. This staggering loss is something Israel and IDF have not confronted in over 51 years, not since the Yom Kippur War.
Valiant troops have fallen every single month since the start of the war. October 2023 stands out as the bloodiest month, with 342 casualties, most of whom died on that horrific Saturday, saving countless lives and preventing Hamas terrorists from advancing deeper into Israel.
In the months that followed, as the IDF has engaged in ground maneuvers in the Gaza Strip and later in Lebanon, there have been notable military achievements that will be discussed for years to come, but the cost is heavy. In December alone, 110 soldiers were killed. This October, marking a year of war, was dubbed "Black October," with 62 soldiers falling in combat.
The current conflict is being waged on multiple fronts: The southern front since October 26, 2023, the northern front where ground maneuvers began on September 30, 2024, and ongoing security fronts, primarily in the West Bank.
In the Gaza Strip, 375 soldiers, including one female soldier, have fallen since operations began, 44 in Lebanon, and 11 in the West Bank. There have also been losses on the northern front, primarily due to drone and missile attacks launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon.
In this war, 272 reserve soldiers have fallen in battle. Much has been said about the mobilization of the reserves, a scale unseen since the establishment of the state. Many understood the significance of the moment on the morning of October 7 and reported for duty – many without having received call-up orders, and some beyond the age of exemption – leaving behind families, children, jobs and businesses, and paying — and still paying — an unbearable emotional and familial price.
Additionally, 143 career soldiers have fallen. The rest are conscripted troops, young people under 22 who hadn't yet begun their lives, with dreams, plans and aspirations abruptly cut short. The fallen have left behind 181 widows, most of whom are mothers, including 27 women who were pregnant when their partners died.
The grim statistics include 44 families suffering multiple losses, who have faced the dreadful knock on their door more than once, including siblings who became bereaved parents, bereaved fathers who are also bereaved uncles, grandparents who buried more than one grandchild, and other heart-wrenching cases. Furthermore, the "Left Behind a Friend" organization reported that there are 327 bereaved partners since the war began.
IDF commanders have been leading from the front since the fighting started, guiding soldiers to operational achievements across all fronts. When the ethos of "Follow Me" becomes a reality, the human cost is significant. About a quarter of all casualties are officers. In the current war, the IDF has lost 69 platoon leaders, 20 deputy company commanders, 63 company commanders, seven deputy battalion commanders, five battalion commanders, and four brigade commanders.
The IDF website has published the dates of death for all the soldiers, except for four – Sergeant Ron Sherman, Corporal Nick Beiser, Corporal Noa Marciano, and Master Sergeant Ori Danino. Sherman and Beiser, who were documented as being kidnapped alive, were killed in Gaza alongside Elia Toledano. Their bodies were rescued and returned by the IDF. Two months ago, the IDF determined that it is highly probable the three were killed as a "byproduct of an IDF airstrike during the elimination of senior Hamas member Ahmed Randor on November 10, 2023."
Netta David documents the harrowing moments from October 7
(Video: Netta David)
The IDF also retrieved the body of lookout Noa Marciano, who was murdered in captivity at al-Shifa Hospital by Hamas terrorists. Danino went to enjoy the Nova Festival. He was kidnapped to Gaza and murdered in Hamas captivity along with Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Alex Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Carmel Gat. The IDF discovered their bodies in late August.
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