Staff Sgt. Noam Hamburger was due to complete his mandatory military service in about a month. Instead, he was killed Friday when an explosive-laden first-person-view (FPV) drone hit an IDF army post near the Lebanese border.
“Noam, with his big heart, his heart of gold, will never return,” his mother, Liat, said in a eulogy.
The incident occurred around 2:20 p.m. Friday, when the drone exploded at the IDF’s Biranit post near the community of Netu’a, close to the border. Another soldier was seriously wounded, and a noncommissioned officer was lightly wounded. About 25 minutes later, around 2:45 p.m., another FPV drone detonated in the area, causing no casualties.
Hamburger served as a technology and maintenance soldier in the 401st Armored Brigade's 9th Battalion, which had suffered heavy losses on the northern front. He lived in Atlit and studied at Kfar Galim High School.
Like other technology and maintenance troops, Hamburger worked to repair and maintain engineering vehicles deep inside combat zones, including across the border and inside enemy territory, sometimes under fire. Such soldiers remain with forces in the field throughout ground operations. Because of the nature of the role, the IDF has made changes and adjustments to their training.
Liat said the family was traveling from its home in Atlit to say goodbye before his funeral Sunday.
“Noam was our eldest son. He was pleasant, a tremendous gift for any mother,” she said. “He always had a big smile. He was an outstanding student and loved to learn. He loved his family and his many friends.”
She said the family had planned to visit him after he wished them a happy Shavuot, bringing food he liked for him and his friends.
“He didn’t answer us, and we had a feeling something had happened — and then they told us about the terrible disaster that had struck us,” she said.
Hamburger had been preparing for his release from the army and had many plans, his mother said. His sisters, 21-year-old Roni and 18-year-old twins Adi and Yuval, are struggling to cope with the loss, she said.
“It is simply incomprehensible,” she said.
Israel Goldstein, head of the electrical engineering and electronics program at Kfar Galim High School, said the school was in shock.
“Noam was a very bright student. He excelled in the program and stood out in his studies,” Goldstein said. “He had very high achievements, and alongside his good grades, he always made sure to help others.”
Goldstein said Hamburger volunteered and took part in many robotics competitions, where he also stood out alongside his classmates.
“Noam was smart, outstanding, modest and full of smiles. He did everything quietly,” Goldstein said. “He was the eldest, and after him his three sisters came to study here at Kfar Galim.”
Goldstein said Hamburger’s name, Noam, which in Hebrew conveys pleasantness, matched his character.
“He was pleasant in every sense of the word. A modest, quiet boy who never boasted. He was exceptionally talented,” he said. “He thirsted to learn and know, and that was reflected in his excellent grades.”
Goldstein said Hamburger gave everything in robotics competitions, often staying in the school laboratories late into the evening and night to work on electricity, software and construction.
“He visited us at the school three months ago. His face and his look have not left my mind,” Goldstein said. “Noam gave his all in his studies, and it turns out he also gave his all defending the country. He was and will remain our great pride. We embrace the family.”
Hof HaCarmel Regional Council head Asif Izak also eulogized him, saying the region had lost “one of its finest sons.”
“Noam grew up and was educated in Hof HaCarmel, as were his younger sisters,” Izak said. “He was a talented and promising young man who served as a soldier throughout the war. His fall leaves a huge void in the heart of the entire community. We will accompany the family all along the way.”