Sgt. First Class Yona Brief, 23: Combat medic with a ‘zest for life’

Sgt. First Class Yona Betzalel Brief, 23, a combat medic in the elite Duvdevan unit, from Modiin, died on November 26, 2024, of wounds he sustained while battling Hamas on October 7, 2023.

Yona and his comrades were sent to the hard-hit Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, where they fought Hamas terrorists while working to protect and save residents.

While going house to house, Yona’s commander, Maj. Ben Bronshtein, and his comrade, Sgt. First Class Amir Fisher, were fatally wounded, and when Yona rushed to try and save them he was shot 13 times in the legs, back and arms. He tied tourniquets on himself and dragged himself to safety.

Yona was not airlifted to a hospital for several hours, but he was finally brought to the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, where he fought for his life for the next 417 days. Both of his legs were amputated above the knee, he had more than 20 surgeries and he spent part of the time in a medically induced coma.

But he also spent much of the time awake and entertaining guests from around the world, singing, praying and providing inspiration to his many visitors – even attending the brit mila of his nephew at his bedside. Ultimately, his wounds were too severe, his liver failed and he drew his last breath at 6:29 a.m. on November 26, 2024.

Yona was buried on November 27, 2024, on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. He is survived by his parents, Hazel and David, and his five older siblings, Nava, Micha, Yasmina, Libi and Aviel.

Born in Jerusalem to American immigrant parents, Yona was the youngest in his family, growing up in Modiin, where he attended a yeshiva high school, was active in his local Bnei Akiva group and volunteered with kids with special needs, according to an IDF obituary.

He loved music and played the piano and guitar, enjoyed cooking, hiking around Israel and carpentry and woodwork.

After graduating from high school, Yona spent 18 months in the Bnei David pre-military academy in the West Bank settlement of Ma’ale Efraim. In April 2021, he enlisted in the IDF, achieving his goal of joining the elite Duvdevan unit. He later completed training as a combat medic.

In May 2023, Yona was seriously wounded in his legs during an operation in the West Bank, requiring a week of hospitalization and then three months of recovery and rehabilitation. He returned to Duvdevan in September 2023.

“417 days ago, Yona, my sweet, dear child, you went to save our beautiful country and its brave citizens,” his mother, Hazel, said at his funeral.

Over the past year of his battle, she said, his hospital room was filled with “schnitzel and pita on Fridays, weightlifting workouts, sushi nights, TED talks, karaoke and of course soulful and musical kabbalat Shabbat –  music, love, laughter and joy.”

Yona, she said, “met each day with endless grit and fought against impossible odds. After you first woke up in November 2023, you asked for your tefillin… from your hospital bed, you inspired so many people around the world.”

Now, Hazel said, “We will take your passion for pushing limits, zest and optimism for life during the most challenging of times, and we will soldier on. We are a bruised and aching family… but we are stronger now because of your fight.”

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