Staff Sgt. Or Mizrahi, 20: IDF balloonist helped all his classmates

Staff Sgt. Or Mizrahi, 20, an observation balloon operator in the Border Defense Corps’s 414th unit, from Ramat Gan, was killed on October 7 when Hamas attacked the Erez outpost next to the crossing from Gaza.

Or and three other balloonists were at the base that Saturday morning when the Hamas attack began. He was on guard duty until 2 a.m. that Saturday morning, according to an IDF eulogy.

He was awoken at 6:30 from the noise of the rocket fire, and ran with his comrades to the on-base shelter only to find it locked. When they realized that they were under attack, Or ran toward the war room and was shot and killed on the way, along with his comrade, Staff Sgt. Max Rabinov and a number of other Golani soldiers also stationed there.

He was buried on October 13 in Tel Aviv. He is survived by his parents, Michal and Yair, and his siblings Ron and Roi.

Born and raised in Ramat Gan, he attended local schools where he focused his studies on math and physics as well as Arabic. He was an avid runner and loved music, his family said.

In December 2021 he enlisted in the IDF and joined the Border Defense Corps, serving most of his time at the Nahal Oz IDF outpost before he was moved in August 2023 to the Erez outpost.

His grandmother, Esther, told a Kan radio station, “Or was a very, very, very special kid. It’s not just me saying that – during the shiva, kids from his class came and said how when they were studying via Zoom during COVID, but they weren’t worried because they knew Or would help them [with their studies].”

She said Or “would help everyone. His face was that of an angel. In his high school yearbook, they wrote that if anyone had any problem or troubles – they knew where to go: to Or Mizrahi.”

His mother, Michal, told the Ynet news site, “Or was a boy who was full of light, just like his name. He was successful and outstanding in his studies, but always modest and humble when it came to his achievements.”

“He really loved his family, loved going on trips together every weekend,” she added. Michal said Or felt like his role as a surveillance balloon operator in the IDF “was really significant, he understood the importance of his actions. The job’s demands are challenging: It’s operating around the clock with a lot of responsibility.”

Michal told Israel Hayom that “Or was a smiling kid who loved life and really loved to run and loved music.” She said she felt like those who speak of the role of the 414th unit on October 7 only mention the observation soldiers at Nahal Oz, “and even when there was a march in honor of the fallen members of the unit, Or and [Max] weren’t mentioned. That makes the pain even greater.”

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