Since the start of the Gaza war, 12 Druze soldiers have fallen. The highest-ranking among them fell this week: Colonel Ehsan Daxa, commander of the 401st Brigade, who died in battle in Jabaliya at the age of 41. He was laid to rest on Monday in his hometown of Daliyat al-Karmel, accompanied by thousands, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, other officers, and community leaders who paid their respects.
The first Druze soldier to fall was Staff Sergeant Daniel Rashed, who died fighting Hamas terrorists on October 7. At 19, he is survived by his parents and three siblings. Rashed, initially declared missing for two weeks after the massacre, dreamed of joining the Golani Brigade, inspired by former Golani commander Ghassan Alian, a figure many young people from Shefa-'Amr admire and wish to emulate. Just weeks before completing the combat course with the 13th Battalion, Daniel stumbled and broke his leg. However, he persevered, remained with the battalion, and joined the fighting on that fateful Saturday.
Lt. Col. Alim Saad, deputy commander of the 300th Brigade, was killed in a clash with infiltrators from Lebanon on the war's second day. Saad was 41 and is survived by a wife and three children. He had planned to retire for studies but decided to continue serving after the war broke out. He was killed in Adamit, near the Israel-Lebanon border.
Sergeant First Class Jawad Amer, 23, from the village of Hurfeish, a live-fire zone manager, also died in the encounter with infiltrators from the Lebanese border, in the same incident as Lt. Col. Saad. Many members of the Amer family from the Druze village of Hurfeish have been killed in Israel's battles. Jawad, who aspired to follow his brother's path into electrical and software engineering in the high-tech sector, was scheduled for release a week before he was killed.
Lt. Col. Salman Habaka, from Yanuh-Jat, commander of the 53rd Battalion of the 188th Armored Brigade, fell in battle in northern Gaza. At 33, he he is survivied by his wife and a two-year-old child. Habaka was one of the heroes of the Kibbutz Be'eri battle, leaving his family on October 7 to head south. In chilling footage, Salman recounted that Saturday morning and the battle he fought in Be'eri: "I am proud of my fighters; they are true heroes. They quickly reached the tanks, acted swiftly, decisively and fought with the determination I expect from them. The 53rd Battalion is meant to lead to victory and will continue to lead to victory – big and small. Our hand will remain on top at all times, and we will not let inhumane and cowardly behavior crush our spirit. We will rise stronger in unity and strength and strike back," he said.
Major Jamal Abbas from Peki'in, a company commander in the 101st Battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade, fell in battle in Gaza at 23. He hailed from a family of fighters with a combat tradition stretching from his grandfather Gideon to the youngest grandchildren. Before Jamal was killed in Gaza, his father and brother managed to reach him on the Israeli military communication network. His father, Anan, who serves as a reserve colonel, said: "You are the spearhead of the fighters, take care of yourselves."
Staff Sergeant Adi Harb, 19, from Beit Jann, who fought in the Nahal Brigade's reconnaissance unit, was killed in battle in Gaza. He enlisted about a year ago to become a combat soldier, fulfilling a lifelong aspiration. He was killed in combat in the Gaza Strip, leaving behind parents, four sisters, and a brother. Adi was supposed to celebrate his 20th birthday the week he died, and his family mourned: "We hadn't seen you, Adi, for 43 days, and we were all eagerly waiting for Thursday, November 23, to celebrate your 20th birthday with you. How could we not wait? We already envisioned you in our minds, rising above our shoulders in endless joy for another birthday," they said with pain.
Staff Sergeant Sofian Dagesh, 21, from Mag har, a soldier in the 601st Engineering Battalion of the "Iron Trails" Brigade (401), fell in battle in northern Gaza. On the 70th day of the war, he wrote: "After months of not seeing home, I miss everyone. I've seen everything in this war and also grown and learned a lot. All this comes at a very high price – I lost friends, lost partners, and witnessed difficult scenes."
Master Sergeant Anwar Sarhan, 26, from Hurfeish, was involved in an accident between a military jeep and a truck near Gush Etzion, a cluster of Israeli settlements located in the Judaean Mountains. The vehicle overturned, and the ammunition inside began to burn and explode. Medics attempted to rescue the wounded but pronounced Sarhan dead at the scene. The spiritual leader of the Druze community eulogized him: "Anwar's 100 days of reserve duty encapsulate his life's essence. He was the first to help, friendly, volunteering for every task, a young man who loved life and helping others."
Captain Wassem Mahmoud, 23, from Beit Jann, deputy company commander in the 601st Battalion, died in battle in southern Gaza. Wassem was killed in a severe incident in Rafah. He commanded an armored personnel carrier with soldiers inside that was hit by an explosive device. His acquaintances said he was expected to be discharged from the IDF and start studying, but he was killed on the night of Eid al-Adha. All events in his village were canceled in solidarity and appreciation. Wasim's grandfather was the first Druze casualty in Beit Jann. On April 1, he was supposed to go on a three-month leave before studying, but instead, he stayed in the army to fight with his soldiers.
Captain Jalaa Ibrahem from Sajur, 25, a company commander in the 601st Engineering Battalion, fell in battle in southern Gaza. He is survived by a mother and 12 siblings, many in significant security roles. Jalaa was the fourth sibling in his family to serve in the Engineering Corps. Jaza Ibrahem, Jalaa's brother serving as an officer in the 91st Division, said, "The last time he was home was on June 15th, on the night of Eid al-Adha. On that day, Captain Wassem Mahmoud from Beit Jann was killed. He went there because he knew him. After that, he came home, said goodbye to everyone, and went to Gaza."
He added: "We urged him to stay, but he wanted to return so badly. Unfortunately, I didn't get to say goodbye to him. We are four officers in the Engineering Corps and two more in the police and Border Police, living through the war daily. In the army, we mentally prepare ourselves for the worst, and in the end, statistics touch everyone. We're six siblings, so unfortunately, it doesn't skip us. I was personally ready for it, but the pain still hits hard."
Major (res.) Nail Fawarsa, 43, from Maghar in the Lower Galilee, commander of the headquarters company in the Haruv Battalion, was killed about a month ago by a drone strike in the Yaara area. Nail married two years ago and left behind a wife and a five-month-old baby. "His son will never see his father again," said his widow in a choked voice. "He loved the country so much – and died for it."
The Druze community in Israel makes up 1.6% of the total population, with over 85% enlisting, most in combat units, despite severe hardships in their alliance with the State of Israel. Druze localities have suffered from years of discriminatory policies, housing shortages, and hundreds of demolition orders, even for soldiers currently on the front lines. Some 10,000 homes of Druze citizens are connected to illegal electricity due to unregulated construction in all Druze localities, and so far, the government does not seem interested in improving the situation for the community, which has forged a blood pact with Israel.
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