Staff Sgt. Nir Ben Ari, a Magen fighter from Kerem Maharal, was killed overnight between Friday and Saturday in southern Lebanon after being hit by a mortar shell and an explosive drone, the IDF said after clearing the news for publication. He was 22 and would have celebrated his birthday in nine days. Ben Ari studied at Kfar Galim School, where teachers and community members described him as an outstanding, values-driven young man beloved by everyone around him.
According to school principal Alfa Weinberger, Ben Ari had chosen to do a pre-army preparatory year before enlistment, which meant many of his friends had already left the army by the time he was serving. His plans were already set for release at the end of the month, and he was scheduled to fly to Thailand with friends in August. Close friend and neighbor Meni Baruch said the group had been waiting for him to join them next month, but now, he said, “instead of him joining them, they are coming back here.”
Baruch said Ben Ari was in the moshav just hours before returning to Lebanon for operational duty. He recalled Ben Ari telling friends and family, “Good night, Lebanon, I’m coming back on Sunday,” and stopping to have a drink with a friend before leaving. Baruch said his parents were deeply worried, but Ben Ari did not seem afraid. “His father did not sleep at night, his mother did not sleep at night, but he was not afraid at all,” Baruch said. “He is a strong boy, a heroic boy.”
Weinberger said Ben Ari was a standout student who took physics and biology and graduated in 2022. She described him as smart, sharp, opinionated, and highly talented, adding that he was also an exceptional basketball player who could lead and even win a game on his own. She said he remained connected to the school after graduation and regularly attended memorial ceremonies. The school will mark 30 days since the death of another alumnus, Noam Hamburger, tomorrow, after he also fell in Lebanon in an explosive drone attack.
