Commander Who Fell Defending Nirim on Oct. 7 Laid to Rest
Translated & summarized from 0404 by baba
Colonel Assaf Hamami, commander of the Southern Brigade, was killed on October 7, 2023, defending Kibbutz Nirim. He was among the first to grasp the attack was a war and personally led fighters into battle. His body was held in Gaza for over two years before being returned in November 2025. Hamami's sacrifice and leadership have become a symbol of courage and responsibility.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Colonel Assaf Hamami was killed on October 7, 2023, defending Kibbutz Nirim.
- He personally led fighters into battle, recognizing the attack as a full-scale war.
- Hamami's body was held in Gaza for over two years before its return.
- His fighters, Tomer Yaakov Ahims and Kiril Brodsky, were also killed and their bodies later recovered.
- Hamami's story has inspired a call to action and remembrance of his leadership values.
- He was 40 years old at the time of his death.
Colonel Assaf Hamami, commander of the Southern Brigade, was killed in action on October 7, 2023, while defending Kibbutz Nirim. Hamami was among the first to recognize the unprecedented scale of the Hamas attack, understanding it was a full-blown war rather than a localized incident. Defying the option to command from his headquarters, he personally led two of his personal security detail fighters, Tomer Yaakov Ahims and Kiril Brodsky, into the battle against Hamas terrorists near Nirim. The three engaged the militants, attempting to halt their advance, but were killed in the fighting. Their bodies were subsequently taken to Gaza.
Hamami, 40, was a career soldier with over two decades of service, holding various command positions in the Nahal Brigade and the Givati Brigade, and commanding the Tzanbar Battalion, the Commando Brigade's training base, and the Negev Brigade. He was known as a hands-on commander deeply committed to the residents of the Gaza border communities under his responsibility. Beyond his military career, he was a devoted family man, survived by his wife Sapir and three children, Ella, Alon, and Arbel, as well as his parents, Clara and Ilan.
His death marked a profound personal tragedy for his family, compounded by the uncertainty surrounding his fate. The IDF officially declared him fallen in October 2023, but his body remained in Gaza, initiating a prolonged struggle for his return. Ahims and Brodsky's bodies were recovered and returned to Israel in July 2024, intensifying the family's pain as Hamami remained unaccounted for.
After more than two years of uncertainty and a public campaign for the return of fallen soldiers held by Hamas, Hamami's body was finally returned to Israel in November 2025. Following identification, he was buried at the Kiryat Shaul Military Cemetery. His story has become a symbol of leadership, personal responsibility, and sacrifice, inspiring the phrase "Be Hamami" to encourage courage and commitment.