Sgt. Maj. Muhammad el-Atrash, 39: Horse lover and father of 13

Sgt. Maj. Muhammad el-Atrash, 39, a tracker in the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade, from Sa’wa, was killed on October 7 and his body taken captive to Gaza. It was returned to Israel by Hamas in October 2025.

It was not until June 2024 that the IDF revealed, based on findings and new intelligence, that he had been killed while battling Hamas terrorists in the area of Nahal Oz on October 7 and his body kidnapped.

His family said that they were shown videos of his body both in Israel and in Gaza that convinced them of his fate.

After his remains were returned to Israel on October 15, 2025, his family held a funeral a day later in his hometown of Sa’wa.

Muhammad is survived by his two wives, Amna and Ktimal, 13 children – ranging in age from 18 to just one month old – and 22 siblings, according to the IDF, as well as his parents.

A career army soldier, he first enlisted in the IDF in November 2003, serving as a tracker, a position almost exclusively filled by Bedouin Israelis. The oldest of his 23 siblings, Muhammad was devoted to his family, and also loved horses.

His brother, Salem, told the Ynet news site that “he was a serious guy, who took care of everyone.”

“He loved horses and he raised them,” he said, noting that he competed with them locally and won. “We would always seek his advice at every gathering. His presence is very missed. He was so unique. He would let the kids ride the horses when possible.”

In August 2025, Salem told Haaretz that Muhammad’s “small children still don’t believe that they have no father. They still think he’s at work and will return. He had a month-old baby girl when he was killed, and she won’t know him… It’s hard for us, for the whole family.”

Another brother, Yusef, told Ynet that “I recall our moments together at the horse races, when we competed together… we’d sit together in the little farm. He loved the sport. When he had free time – he was with his horses. He wanted to open a petting zoo with the horses, sheep and goats. Ever since he was a kid he loved animals. His dream was to open an organized horse farm.”

Muhammad’s father, Ibrahim, told Ynet in December 2023 that his son’s 13 children “ask about their father every day and when he will come back. And we don’t have any answers.”

Speaking at his funeral, Gaza Division chief Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram said the final confirmation of Atrash’s death “shattered the heart.”

“Today, as he has returned, we stand together with appreciation and pain,” added Hiram, according to the Haaretz daily. “Muhammad was a role model and a good example. He demonstrated courage and love. He was a bridge of mutual responsibility in this country.”

The IDF general told members of the Atrash family that they should “feel pride in him for his dedication and his bravery.”

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