Ilai Gamzo

Staff Sgt. Ilay Gamzo, 20, a squad commander at the Paratroopers Brigade’s training base was killed battling Hamas terrorists near Kibbutz Yad Mordechai on October 7.

Ilay was slain two weeks before his 21st birthday. He was home in Ashdod on leave when the Hamas invasion began, and was called to head to the border with Gaza to fight against the invading terrorists. He and a few other soldiers encountered a terrorist cell next to Yad Mordechai, north of Gaza, and he and another soldier were slain in the ensuing gun battle.

He was buried on October 9 in Ashdod. He is survived by his parents, Eliza and Shmuel, and his siblings, Liel and Liam.

His brother Liam, 16, told a local Ashdod news site that “Ilay was a person full of joy for life and smiles. After he was killed we heard moving stories about how much he loved to give others and how much he cared about others. Apparently, the money he got on base he would give to lone soldiers so they would have food and whatever else they needed.”

At a ceremony marking 30 days since his funeral, his family and friends donned shirts with what they said was his motto: “Smile, because a smile is joy, and joy is the strength to go on.”

As a teenager, he played soccer with the Ironi Ashdod team until he started his army service.

His cousin, Almog Shalev, wrote on Facebook that “we are cousins but practically brothers, our connection was as close as possible.” He noted that Ilay had a keen love of soccer, and from now “you’ll watch anyway from the best seats there are.” Almog wrote that Ilay was about to turn 21 and was slated to complete his mandatory army service in 8 months: “You told me, ‘Almog, don’t worry, I’ll be released and I’ll travel like you.'”

On his birthday, two weeks after he was killed, his father Shmuel wrote on Facebook, “I don’t know what to write to you today, it’s your birthday and I’m looking for you in your room to wish you mazel tov, and you’re not there. I call you and you’re not available on the phone.

“I want to believe that they’re celebrating for you up above,” he wrote. “So, a great deal of congratulations, our prince. Watch over us from above. We love you unconditionally.”

His mother, Eliza, wrote on social media marking 100 days since he was slain: “100 days without you, 100 days without a phone call of ‘What’s up?,’ 14 Shabbats without you, 100 days living in a world which is no longer funny, 14 Fridays without, ‘Mom, make me a roll with matbucha, shnitzel, egpplant and a can of Coke Zero,'” she wrote.

“100 days of living without coming to terms that you’re no longer here, 100 days that your room has stayed exactly the same, just has more and more memorials from people added,” Eliza continued. “100 days waiting for redemption to come and waiting and waiting, 100 days from that horrible day that you left the house and never came home, 100 days that every minute, every second you are in our thoughts, 100 days that the tears don’t stop falling, 100 days without feeling your hug and kiss, 100 days that we go to the new place and cry alongside your grave.”
Source: The Times of Israel