Sole Survivor of Chilling IDF Photo Speaks Out After Two Friends Fell

A photograph taken on the eve of Yom Kippur in 2023, less than two weeks before the outbreak of the "Swords of Iron" war, has taken on a chilling, prophetic significance. The image shows three Armored Corps soldiers from the 401st Brigade, standing at attention and saluting before the graves of soldiers from the brigade who fell in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The soldiers were part of an IDF memorial project designed to connect generations and honor fallen soldiers.

Of the three soldiers in the photo, Sergeant First Class Itai Saadon, 21, and Sergeant First Class Ofir Bercovich, 20, were killed in action in Gaza in November 2023 and October 2024, respectively. The third soldier, Sergeant First Class Gabriel, is the sole survivor.

Gabriel described his memories of the day as "very hazy" but recalled the "special dynamic" with his friends. He expressed how the photo now feels "chilling" knowing he is the only one left. He spoke of the "unfathomable" news of Itai's death in the early weeks of the ground invasion and the even "harder" feeling when Ofir also fell nearly a year later. Gabriel shared that the photo is a "chilling coincidence" and that he finds solace in sharing his feelings with others, encouraging openness during difficult times.

Ofir's parents saw the photograph during their seven-day mourning period. His father recalled Ofir feeling honored to be chosen for the task of saluting fallen soldiers. His mother described the photo as a "tangible mark" of her son's absence and reflected on the cyclical nature of conflict in Israel, stating, "It seems we are destined to live by the sword." Itai's mother remembered a different photo her son sent her from the same day, showing him alone at the grave, and how she wished he would visit wounded soldiers instead of graves. She expressed relief that Gabriel is alive and emphasized the importance of remembering fallen soldiers, even as society naturally seeks to return to routine.

The photograph, initially part of a unit's remembrance project for the 1973 fallen, has now become a symbol for Israeli society, representing the continuation of sacrifice across generations.