Master Sgt. Ido Kaslasi, 23: A perfect mix of ‘roughness, sensitivity’

Master Sgt. (res.) Ido Kaslasi, 23, a soldier in the elite Maglan commando unit, from Kibbutz Harel, was killed battling Hamas terrorists near Zikim on October 11, 2023.

As soon as he understood what was happening on October 7, Ido gathered his gear and headed out to fight the Hamas terrorist invasion without waiting to be called up.

He was killed four days later outside Kibbutz Zikim, next to the border with Gaza, while protecting his team from an ambush by a group of Hamas terrorists. In doing so, he saved the lives of his team members and civilians. He was slain alongside his comrades Master Sgt. Daniel Kastiel and Master Sgt. Itay Moreno.

Ido was buried on October 13 in Kibbutz Harel. He is survived by his parents, Kalanit and Eli, his brothers, Ayal and Uri and his girlfriend Maya.

He was born and raised in the kibbutz, outside Jerusalem, attending nearby schools. Always involved in local agriculture, he worked alongside his brothers in the produce fields, according to an IDF eulogy. Upon completing his military service in 2021, Ido returned to his love of working the land and participated in Kibbutz Harel’s agricultural projects. He also started a food truck with a childhood friend that served high-quality meat dishes.

He and his girlfriend, Maya, traveled together around South America and Europe, and when they returned to Israel, Ido was accepted to study agriculture at the Hebrew University’s campus in Rehovot and completed a course in using drones to help grow crops. He also continued to carry out regular reserve duty with Maglan.

Ido’s friends, Nitzan and Guy, said at his funeral that he was “the smartest and funniest kid in the class.”

“He was the best friend, the best soldier,” they added.

At Ido’s funeral, his mother, Calanit, said that he was “smart and funny, full of charisma and energy as well as sweetness and great sensitivity.”

“Ido, my middle child, was the glue of the family — connecting, attentive, communicative and full of advice. He would light up and make noise everywhere he went. You couldn’t miss the energy he brought to a room,” she said.

She added that Ido “loved making food and feeding people. He was a meat expert and loved to host people at our patio in the kibbutz.”

Ayal said his brother had the “combination of sensitivity and roughness, an unending sense of humor and intelligence. He was restless, always doing things.”

At Ido’s funeral, Ayal said that even though he was the eldest child, Ido took on the role himself in many ways.

“He protected me and Uri and took care of the whole family. Like every big brother, he did the job the best he could. I couldn’t ask for a better or more caring brother who spread light and joy everywhere,” he said.

Ayal added that it was never boring around Ido: “He always had something to say and somehow always found a way to laugh about every situation.”

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