“We are a special platoon, we always have been, whether in our mission – or in the jokes and atmosphere between us,” is how Sergeant Major K. describes the special bond in his platoon in Battalion 931, whose job is to support the Nahal Brigade. But exactly one year ago today, this strong bond took a painful turn – when 4 of their members fell in the battle at Beit Hanun.
A few weeks earlier, the fighters were stationed in the north of the Gaza Strip. There, they had to maneuver and take control of a specific area cell. Sergeant A., a fighter in the platoon, describes the atmosphere: “Throughout the war, we were in the Gaza Strip, in many places. The activity itself was no different. We fought and captured targets, and held the territory. But this time I just had a gut feeling – as if something bad was going to happen.”
His friends, Sergeant A. and Sergeant S., both fighters in the IDF, were just traveling with the brigade commander, preparing to go on a tour of the area with him, when they heard a loud explosion, about 150 meters from them. “We got out of the vehicle and I noticed a large mushroom cloud of smoke in front of me,” Sergeant S. recalls, “The entire platoon divided into squads and immediately jumped to the scene. When we arrived at the point with the Hummer, we gave the forces covering fire, and very quickly evacuated the wounded to the airstrip.”
Sergeant A. joins him, and tells of one moment that is burned into his memory from those long minutes: “Suddenly I recognized the late Alex. He was lying on a stretcher on the way to evacuation. The late Danila was also being evacuated next to him, who at this point was already unconscious. It was really scary. I convinced myself at that moment to believe that they would be okay – and I went back to acting like a robot.”
Among the many forces that were in the area and jumped was Sergeant K. “At first, we didn’t know at all what had happened and what awaited us there, but it was clear to us that we were on our way – to save our friends.”
In the hours after the event, as more and more details became clear, the platoon gathered with the brigade commander, who conveyed to them the difficult news about their four fallen comrades: Sergeant Yahav Maayan, the late Sergeant Danila Dyakov, the late Sergeant Eliav Estiokar, and the late Sergeant (res.) Alexander Fedorenko.
“From that moment on, we didn’t say goodbye to each other, the whole platoon,” says Sergeant A. painfully. “It felt like we were sitting on them – inside Gaza. We were all in the same room, close to each other, trying to comfort ourselves with stories and memories of them.”
All four fighters we spoke to talk about the joint effort to lift the platoon’s spirits. “Each of us had an unwritten role. One played the guitar so that there would be no silence, another prepared food. We had a platoon summary every evening. We cried together, and we fell apart together,” shares Sergeant A., “We knew that these were the most important and fateful days. We understood that if we didn’t stay together, each one would fall apart on their own, and that could break us.”
And truly, as they testify, thanks to the way they spent those difficult days, each fighter felt that this was the right place for him – together with his comrades. “We all stayed. No one left, no one gave up. We remained united as we were – in good times and in bad,” declares Sergeant K.
Finally, the platoon’s fighters told us a little about the people dear to them who fell and are no longer there – and what they left behind and will continue to go with them forever.
Sergeant Yahav Maayan, late
“Yahav always had a contagious smile, a cheerful disposition. He would make us laugh and boost our morale. He went away for a short time to the commando course, but when he returned to us it felt as if he had never left for a moment. Every now and then he would start singing loudly, and we would all join him. He was a person who made you smile just by standing next to him.”
Sergeant Danila Dyakov, late
“Daniela knew everyone in the department from head to toe. He was such a good and loyal friend. He had the ability to look at a person and immediately understand what they were going through – just like an X-ray. Last winter, he felt unwell, and went home. When he heard that we were starting a new mission, he refused to give up and insisted on coming back to us.”
Sergeant Eliav Estiokar, late
“Eliav was a quiet and introverted guy, so calm, someone who didn’t talk much. Sometimes he would take out his camera, which he always had with him, and take pictures of us. These were bright spots that only Eliav could bring.”
Maj. Gen. (res.) Alexander Fedorenko, late
“Alex was a reservist who had only arrived at the department a few months before the incident. For us, the younger ones, he was a real father figure. He had a different perspective on life, with a lot of experience. We would sit, talk to him about everything and consult. He was really the father of the department.”
Today, a year after the event, the platoon has already undergone several changes. Alongside the experienced fighters, there are also new ones who have been recruited since then. Everyone heard from the veterans about the four beloved comrades who fell in battle – and they make sure to commemorate them throughout.
They never forgot for a moment who they were and their story: “There wasn’t a single day that we wouldn’t sit in the stilt house and joke around with Eliav, Danila, Yahav and Alex. This is very important to us. Once in the southern Gaza Strip, we were given a mission to enter the heart of Rafah. There, we found cups of tea, and by chance, we also received cookies that day. Thus began a new tradition of a departmental ‘tea party’ – and it describes exactly their spirit and ours.”
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