Ilay Noam Ben Mocha

Sgt. Ilay Noam Ben Mucha, 20, a Golani soldier from Ashdod, was killed battling Hamas terrorists at the Kissufim outpost on October 7.

He and fellow Golani soldier Sgt. David Mittelman were slain at the gate to the base, buying other soldiers crucial time to assemble and load their weapons.

His sister, Bar, told a local news site that Noam first ran to ensure that the observation soldiers on the base were in a safe place, and then gathered up two weapons and headed to the gate of the base, “where he and another soldier fought against 50 terrorists for 20 minutes until he was killed, allowing the rest of the fighters to prepare, and saved many lives. My brother was a hero!”

Noam was buried on October 12 in Ashdod. He is survived by his parents, Fani and Shai, and his older siblings Amir, Eden and Bar.

His brother, Amir, wrote on Facebook, “You were a true treasure, a sweet gift that we received from God for a period of borrowed time. The best brother and uncle that I could ask for!”

“I can’t believe that it’s over, I mostly can’t accept the bitter news,” Amir continued. “I can’t believe we won’t have any more conversations, can’t believe I won’t hear about all the dreams you want to accomplish. You were a true angel, and you will remain forever my personal angel. I love you my Noam, you are a true hero!”

His girlfriend, Inbar Biton, wrote online that the couple met while working as waiters at the same event hall, “and from the first moment I fell in love with his smile and his joy.”

“Anywhere he went, people would notice him and immediately fall in love with him,” she added. “He was the most supportive and accepting person. He always made sure things were good for me and that I would be happy. At Friday night dinners he would always bring all the salads he knew I liked closer and made sure I had something to eat. When I opened my business he took his salary and just gave it to me, without me asking or saying that I needed it, just so that I could make my dream come true without pressure. He was everything to me. He was my biggest love and my best friend. A supportive shoulder and a partner for life.”

In a news interview, his mother, Fani, described his final moments and the last time she saw him.

“He took the initiative, he ran to the weapons locker, brought two machine guns, ran with them, brought it to his friend, and the two of them fought with bravery until their last drop of blood,” his mother, Fani, told Channel 12 news.

Fani said she last saw Noam on Friday, a few hours before he was killed, when she brought him food for Shabbat to his IDF base: “I saw him and I was so proud of him and I said ‘Noam, I’m so proud of what you’ve become,’ and he hugged me, and it was as if he was saying goodbye.”
Source: The Times of Israel