On the eve of Simchat Torah, the commanders and soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces’ 77th Armored Battalion witnessed the moment they had fought more than two years to see: two of their tank crewmen, Staff Sgt. Matan Angrest and Sgt. Nimrod Cohen, returned home from captivity after being held for 738 days by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
But for the battalion, and for the IDF, the struggle is far from over. Three of their comrades remain held in Gaza: Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel, and Capt. Omer Neutra.
On the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, Angrest fought under the command of Capt. Daniel Peretz, alongside Sgt. Tomer Leibovitz and Staff Sgt. Itay Chen. Cohen fought under Capt. Omer Neutra, together with Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel and Sgt. Shaked Dahan.
Seven of the eight soldiers from the two tank crews were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists after fierce battles in southern Israel. Dahan’s body was recovered in an IDF operation in August 2024, and Peretz’s body was brought back this week. Chen, Neutra, and Daniel remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza.
When Angrest and Cohen arrived at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Medical Center earlier this week, dozens of fellow soldiers from the battalion greeted them with songs, dances, and tears. Among them was Staff Sgt. Arik, who once served alongside Angrest in the same tank crew.
“Matan was the first face I saw when I joined the company,” Arik recalled. “He was always positive. No matter what we went through, he kept me going. Two months before October 7 we switched crews and split up.”
On the night before the Hamas terrorist assault, Arik was at home while Angrest was on duty at his post. The two exchanged messages, and Angrest managed to send him a selfie. The following morning, as war erupted, Arik replied from the road south: “I told him to eliminate every terrorist. I knew that’s exactly what he would do — even blindfolded. Matan is strong, skilled, and mentally unbreakable. He always volunteered and pushed through everything.”
Arik completed his regular service in December 2024 and has since served six months in the reserves. “I fought for Matan every single day,” he said. “I always believed he would come home. On my few leaves I went to Hostage Square and visited the families.”
He also lost his own commander and close friend, Capt. Elay Elisha Lugasi, whom he described as “a hero of Israel — professional, brave, a true commander and friend.”
“For Matan, the day he returned home is really October 8, 2023,” Arik said. “He went through two years of suffering and torture in captivity, but for him, the world stopped that day. Now everything hits him all at once — all the bad news.”
Moments after his release, Angrest held up a handwritten sign inside the helicopter that read:
“Daniel, Tomer, and Itay — you are the Lion Kings. Thanks to all the heroes in uniform, Am Yisrael Chai.”
Three days later, he attended the funeral of his commander, Capt. Peretz, and delivered an emotional eulogy. “I knew Matan would want to speak,” Arik said. “He wanted to honor him, to thank him.”
“I’m waiting for the right moment for us to meet,” Arik added. “On his way to the hospital, he opened the window and shouted to the guys, ‘Where’s Arik?’ Maybe he wasn’t sure I was still alive. But I said from the start — if anyone could survive captivity and come out strong, it’s Matan.”
A day after his return, Angrest was visited at Ichilov Hospital by Brig. Gen. Moran Omer, commander of the 36th Division; Col. “Sh.”, commander of the 7th Armored Brigade; and Lt. Col. “D.”, commander of the 77th Battalion.
“It was incredibly emotional,” Lt. Col. D. said. “I expected to see something entirely different. But Matan was the one strengthening us. He’s amazing, full of gratitude. As soon as we walked in, he saluted the division commander — in his mind, he’s still a soldier. The first thing he wanted to do was thank everyone who fought and sacrificed. He said it was an honor to fight for and represent the State of Israel, and that he wants to return to combat duty.”
Lt. Col. D., who served as an operations officer in the brigade during the start of the war, knew the details of Angrest’s last battle well. “They fought with exceptional skill, eliminated many terrorists, and only at a late stage were hit by an anti-tank missile and forced to stop. They fought like lions,” he said. “Matan told us it was important to him that we know how the team fought — though we already knew it from the radio recordings. I told him their legacy will never be forgotten, and now he can tell it himself.”
D. said he asked to take command of the 77th Battalion during the war “because of the complexity and the pain. It was the only battalion in the IDF with soldiers both above and below ground. You don’t have to explain to them what they’re fighting for — no one is more determined. After two years of war, with their faces and stories in our minds, meeting Matan was indescribable. To see the victory we fought for come to life — that’s beyond words.”
He said battalion and brigade officers also took part in the operation to bring home the bodies of Capt. Peretz and three other hostages. “We received them from the Red Cross. It was important for us to do it ourselves — to wrap the coffins in Israeli flags and hand them over to the IDF,” he said.
“We stand by the bereaved families with full dedication,” he added. “They are our moral compass — engraved in our hearts and minds, giving us the strength to continue.”
Lt. Col. D. concluded, “We fought so they could come home. There’s nothing more powerful than that. Their friends fought every day for this moment. I always believed we’d close the circle — that I’d take command of an incomplete battalion and make it whole again.”
He paused, then added quietly, “But our mission isn’t finished. We still have three hostages from our battalion who need to come home — Itay, Oz, and Omer.”