Sgt. Ariel Erez, 19: Golani soldier whose ‘eyes were always sparkling’
Killed battling the Hamas attack on the Erez Crossing on October 7
Sgt. Ariel Erez, 19, a Golani Brigade soldier from Amka, was killed on October 7 battling the Hamas invasion of the Erez Crossing.
Stationed at the outpost next to the crossing point in northern Gaza, Ariel and his comrades were among the first to battle the Hamas cross-border invasion that morning. They fought for more than an hour against the gunmen, killing many, until Ariel was wounded by a grenade, according to an IDF eulogy.
Ariel continued fighting until his comrades brought him to a safer location and tried to treat his wounds, and on the way he received another gunshot wound. Once inside the room, the Hamas gunmen opened fire at the door and Ariel was killed on the spot. He was slain alongside his friends and comrades Sgt. Adir Tahar and Staff Sgt. Daniel Danino.
Ariel was buried in Amka on October 11. He is survived by his parents, Nava and Ronen, and his four siblings, Liraz, Yehonatan, Hila and Yair.
Born and raised in Amka, a small town in the Western Galilee, Ariel was remembered as a quiet boy who was nevertheless known as a bit of a prankster, with a love of soccer, particularly Maccabi Haifa. He was devoted to his parents, and always made sure to support and help his mother, who has muscular dystrophy.
He was involved in the agricultural life of the small moshav. He met his girlfriend, Maayan Zohar, when they were 14 and taking part in a lychee peeling competition in the town.
After finishing high school, Ariel enlisted in the IDF in December 2022. He was placed in the Golani Brigade and after completing his training was stationed along the Gaza border.
His older sister, Hila, wrote on Instagram, “My little brother, my other half, the best, most beautiful, most pure in the world… the love of my life, the boy I watched over and worried about all of my life.”
“You were my routine — to send you messages to make sure everything was OK, to drop you off at the train, to make you food anytime you requested, to ask when you’re coming home for the weekend because I miss you — were all part of my day-to-day, and now you are so far away,” she added. “I don’t have anyone to shower with love and hug so tight.”
Hila wrote that she misses “your captivating smile with your beautiful teeth, your serious expression, your pure eyes that were always sparkling. Our long conversations, our car rides playing Eyal Golan songs, and you were always driving. Our car is waiting for you in the parking spot, I promise I’ll let you drive it anytime you want.”
Ariel’s girlfriend, Maayan, told a defense news site that he “had the kindest eyes and the biggest heart there was, he helped everyone, always with a smile and humility — that’s what captivated me from the beginning.”
Maayan said Ariel “was humble and quiet, his modesty is what drew me to his heart.” Everywhere he went “he was always surrounded by friends, he was always at the heart of things and always made everybody laugh.”
