They came to serve: The lone soldiers defending Israel after Oct. 7

In the wake of Hamas’s brutal October 7, 2023, onslaught, as antisemitic chants echoed across her university campus and hostage posters were defaced, “Rebecca” realized she could no longer remain in the United States. The surge in anti-Zionism made her decision clear: move to Israel and enlist in the IDF.

Rebecca, who asked that her real name be withheld for fear of being doxxed, made the move in August 2024 and is now serving as a lone soldier. Her fears stemmed in part from personal fallout after October 7, when, she said, “My best friend of 10 years told me we couldn’t be friends anymore.” The experience made her cautious about whom she trusted with news of her decision to enlist.

“People I sat in classes with, that I studied and learned with, cheered for ‘armed resistance’ while vandalizing our hostage posters with swastikas,” Rebecca said.  Moving to Israel and enlisting “was the only thing in the world that made sense to me,” she added.

She was referring to the widespread “KIDNAPPED” posters created to spotlight the hostages abducted on October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel, slaughtering some 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 to the Gaza Strip. It has become common, in the US and elsewhere, for these posters to be defaced by anti-Israel activists.

In the aftermath of October 7, Israel’s community of lone soldiers — young men and women serving in the IDF without parental support — has grown in both size and significance, as enlistment surges and motivations deepen.

According to IDF data for the March-April recruitment period released last month, 1,113 new immigrants were slated to enlist — 674 men and 459 women. (Not all of these are lone soldiers as some arrive with their families.) This marks a significant rise from previous years; 883 new immigrants were drafted during the same period in 2024, and 799 in 2023. The US, Russia and Ethiopia provide the most recruits, a trend that continues from 2024.

Today, Israel is home to an estimated 7,000 lone soldiers. Roughly half are volunteers from abroad; the rest are Israeli-born soldiers without parental support, such as orphans or those from broken homes. Many of the Israeli lone soldiers come from Haredi households that disapprove of their decision to enlist.

A total of 709 lone soldiers were drafted in the March-April recruitment period, but the IDF did not specify how many were international volunteers and how many were Israeli-born.

Many lone soldiers immigrate to Israel through Garin Tzabar, a program that has assisted young people from around the world with their move to Israel and IDF enlistment since 1991. After October 7, the number of lone soldiers immigrating to Israel through Garin Tzabar surged by approximately 30%, the program reported.

“We are extremely proud of those who chose to [immigrate] and serve now, during such a challenging time,” said Garin Tzabar global director Yair Ran Peled, noting that over 450 lone immigrant soldiers have joined the IDF through Garin Tzabar in the past year.

Peled observed a profound shift in the motivations of new recruits since the Hamas attacks and the subsequent war.

“We see a noticeable strengthening in candidates’ sense of mission and motivation,” he said. “Many express a strong desire to move to Israel, enlist in the IDF, and contribute to the country specifically during this difficult period.”

Peled also highlighted rising antisemitism abroad as a powerful “push” factor.

“Jewish youth on campuses around the world are experiencing antisemitism and social difficulties due to anti-Israel peers, pushing them toward immigrating and serving in Israel,” he added.

Still, the challenges facing new lone soldiers have intensified.

“The emotional challenge begins with immigration and the major life change,” Peled said, and continues with the mental demands of military life, particularly when new soldiers encounter “gaps between their expectations and the realities of IDF service.”

Mental health concerns, feelings of isolation, and logistical hurdles such as securing housing and navigating bureaucracy have all grown more acute since the war began.

The war’s personal toll is felt deeply within the Garin Tzabar community. “There is not a single soldier today who doesn’t personally know someone wounded or killed,” Peled said.

Among those lost is Omer Neutra, a 22-year-old Israeli-American lone soldier and tank commander who was killed in battle on October 7, after which his body was abducted into Gaza and is still held by Hamas. Another Israeli-American member of the program abducted that day, Edan Alexander, 21, is believed to be alive and held captive in Gaza. A Hamas propaganda video released in mid-April showed Alexander speaking under duress, renewing hope for his return.

The kidnapping and deaths of Garin Tzabar members remain a constant source of pain for program participants. In response, the organization has ramped up emotional support not only for the soldiers but also for their families abroad and their new Israeli communities.

“Ben,” who also chose to remain anonymous, moved to Israel from the Netherlands in January 2024.

“By the time [October 7] happened, I already knew that I wanted to enlist in the IDF, and seeing everything unfold only made this feeling stronger,” he said.

Despite initial resistance from his family and friends, Ben followed through with his decision to serve in the military.

“It’s still difficult for them, but over time we have all gotten more used to it,” he said, emphasizing that he does not regret his move.

After completing their mandatory service, many lone soldiers stay on as reservists — a role that has taken on renewed visibility since the outbreak of the war, with over 300,000 reservists being called up for duty since Hamas’s October 7 onslaught.

Sgt. First Class (res.) Volodimir Matveychuk, a reservist in a tank unit, immigrated from Ukraine in 2016. On October 7, after finishing a night shift at work, he dropped everything to report to duty. In the second month of the war, Matveychuk was injured after his tank flipped over in the Jabaliya refugee camp on the outskirts of Gaza City. Despite his injury, he continued his reserve tour, serving a total of 180 days since the beginning of the war.

“This is my nation,” he said. “It gave me everything. I couldn’t just stand by and watch it get attacked.”

Back in central Israel, Rebecca continues her service, carrying both the pride of her decision and the emotional weight of her distance from home.

“The loneliness catches me off guard sometimes… and sometimes I just want to hug my mom,” she said, highlighting the struggles that come with being a lone soldier.

Still, she said that despite the hardships, she has no regrets.

“Moving here after [October 7] has been the single most meaningful and important decision of my life,” she said. “Even on the bad days, I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”