Since the start of the fighting, Israel has been focused on numbers. Counting the days of combat and the days in captivity, tallying the living hostages, the fallen, and the IDF soldiers who paid with their lives. Officials and families count because it is the only way to provide markers in time, to remind themselves that the war is still ongoing. To gain context and perspective. Each loss opens a chasm in the heart of a family and community. Whole lives are reduced to a sticker and a military section.
Ariel Lubliner became the 900th fatality in the campaign earlier this week, also becoming a symbol of the growing toll. As the numbers rise, it becomes harder to hold onto the stories, to remember names and faces. Families and the military return to the lists, to the “authorized for release” notices, trying to identify who opened the next hundred count. And another. And another.
There is no way to know the exact order of the fallen. The scale of the October 7 attack and the ensuing chaos likely left the first casualty anonymous, but the first official “authorized for release” notice is known and remembered. In the following days, many soldiers fell. The tally relies on media reports during the fighting and on the IDF’s official list of fallen.
Here are ten stories of ten soldiers representing 900 casualties: from north to south, religious and secular, men and women, reservists and active duty. In their lives, the fallen tell the story of Israel: a tiny country demanding so much from its people, filled with wealth and beauty, courage and deep camaraderie, and endless devotion.
Yet the mosaic of loss is also a warning during days when the military prepares to enter Gaza amid sharp disagreements with political leadership. In thousands of homes, every breath is once again interrupted. The fallen and the terrible gap they left reflect not only the unbearable cost of the campaign but also the enormous responsibility required to manage it.
Fallen No. 1: Col. Yehonatan Aharon Steinberg – 7.10.23
Three officers arrived at Kibbutz Shomria on Simchat Torah and informed the Steinberg family that their father, commander of the Nahal Brigade, had been killed in battle.
Born in Jerusalem and raised in Givat Ze’ev, he continued his studies at Ma’aleh Eliyahu Yeshiva in Tel Aviv before pursuing a distinguished military career. Friends and subordinates described him as quiet, gentle and determined, respected wherever he went.
Hours earlier, Yoni received reports of infiltrators and rocket fire, packed his bag, and said goodbye to his wife, Yiska, who handed him a box of homemade cookies. She spent the following hours trying to comfort their six children. Yoni went to join his troops in battle but never made it, encountering a terrorist ambush at the Magen Junction and fighting alone before falling.
His sister, Eilat Steinberg, eulogized him: “You were always the most organized child at home, everything arranged by height and color. You were a symbol of stability and security for us. Already at ten, during the first Gulf War siren, you woke us to enter the safe room. You taught us that even with a smile and a wink, one can express themselves. You knew how to distinguish what is essential in life from what is trivial.”
Fallen No. 100: Capt. Ido Israel Shani – 7.10.23
Born in Giv’atayim, Ido grew up in the moshav of Tzora in Sharon from the age of three, the youngest son of the Shani family. As a teenager, he devoted himself to the Agricultural Union youth movement and volunteered for a service year.
His wife, Maayan Shani, eulogized him: “You left us doing until the very last moment what you were destined to do, what you believed in most... the best man in the world has left us.”
Ido was charismatic and responsible, but also playful and adventurous. On that Sabbath, as deputy commander of the Nahal Reconnaissance Unit, he stayed in charge of the Kerem Shalom sector. At 6 a.m., he had a morning coffee with other commanders; 43 minutes later he went on the radio: “War, I repeat, we are at war, everyone defend their sector, kill terrorists, good luck.”
He was killed in the battle for Kibbutz Sufa, wounded in the head, evacuated to the settlement of Avshalom, and died of his injuries at 29.
Fallen No. 200: Sgt. Noa Freis – 7.10.23
Noa’s father, Erez, traveled four times to Nahal Oz base hoping to rescue or understand what had happened to his daughter. The last message her parents received from her was “I love you” at the start of the attack.
She served as a ground collection officer in the 414 Border Defense Battalion. At the end of her course, she proudly received her commander’s beret with the inscription: “The light in your heart will overcome every obstacle on the way to your goal.”
Her mother, Sigal, eulogized her: “You made me feel pride, admiration and endless love. I learned from you and with you how a mother-daughter relationship can be close, authentic, direct, sometimes stormy, but always loving.”
Fallen No. 300: Sgt. Shira’el Chaim Por – 7.10.23
Shira’el’s family endured three weeks of uncertainty before learning she had been killed at the Nahal Oz command post. Though not on duty, she immediately ran to the command center to alert forces and prevent further attacks, saving hundreds of lives.
Her parents, Tzmeret and Eliezer Por, and her brother, Barak, remembered her as a bright and dedicated young woman.
Fallen No. 400: Ret. Lt. Col. Adi Shani – 6.12.23
Known for his playful spirit and mischievous sense of humor, Adi loved sports and professional running. He and his wife, Lior, built a home in Tzur Yitzhak with their three daughters. On October 7, he was called up to reserve duty as a combat engineer and continued to bring humor and energy even in the field.
His sister, Tamar, eulogized him: “You give your heart and soul before anyone even asks. That is who you are.”
Fallen No. 500: Lt. Col. Roy Yohai Yosef Mordechai – 6.1.24
Roy and his wife, Neta, had a daughter, Uri, two years ago. Three months later, he was killed in combat in northern Gaza. A dedicated soldier, he had narrowly survived a terrorist attack in 2008 that killed eight classmates, an event that shaped his life.
His father-in-law, Poli Mordechai, described his devotion and bravery: “You would do exactly as he did.”
Fallen No. 600: Sgt. Nadav Cohen – 31.3.24
Nadav, nicknamed Nedi, met his mother, Michal, and family outside Gaza a month and a half into the war. The reunion was filmed as his mother ran to embrace him on the bus.
A sensitive and beloved young man, Nadav volunteered enthusiastically for missions abroad and served in the 7th Armored Brigade like his grandfather. He was 20 when he fell in combat in southern Gaza.
Fallen No. 700: Sgt. Amit Tzadikov – 24.8.24
Amit loved the Scouts, basketball, surfing, skateboarding and Israeli rap. During the Gaza fighting, he distinguished himself, including responding immediately when an RPG hit a building housing his commanders.
His girlfriend, Maya, eulogized him: “I don’t know how to live without you by my side. I love you more than myself and still wait for you to return.” He was 20.
Fallen No. 800: Ret. Sgt. Roee Sasson – 19.11.24
Roee, a brilliant and energetic soldier, continued intensive reserve service after his release despite awaiting travel plans. His mother meticulously tracked his movements to ensure his safety. He was 21 when he fell.
Lt. Col. Yoel Glikman, commander at his funeral, said: “You will always be part of us. Israel lost one of its finest sons last night.”
Fallen No. 900: Ret. Sgt. Ariel Lubliner – 29.8.25
Ariel and his wife, Barbara, met in Hebrew classes at Kibbutz Na’an. Immigrants from Brazil and Spain, they built their lives together in Kiryat Bialik and had a son, Lior. Ariel was called for four long reserve deployments during the war while Barbara was pregnant and caring for their baby.
He was known for his joy, volunteer spirit, and love of music, ping-pong and coffee-making for his friends. He was 33 when he was killed. Barbara eulogized him: “Thank you for sharing 11 years of your life with me. I will teach Lior everything about you when he grows up. My love, how will I live without you?”