On the morning of October 7, Maj. Chen Buchris, deputy commander of the Maglan unit, led the first force to reach Kibbutz Nahal Oz. He fought there with determination and courage until he was killed in battle.
His older brother, identified only as S., an officer in an elite unit, continued fighting in Kfar Aza even after being informed of Chen’s death. This month, Lt. Col. S. assumed command of the Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion after serving as operations officer of the Commando Brigade and previously commanding the Maglan fighters company. In his last role, he served as a commander in the elite naval unit Shayetet 13.
“There were many missions during the war, in nearby and distant areas, where we solved significant operational challenges,” he told Ynet, describing the intense fighting he led throughout the Swords of Iron war. “This included operations focused on locating and searching for captives and missing persons in the Gaza Strip.”
At the ceremony marking his appointment, Lt. Col. S. quoted words spoken by his late brother when Chen entered his final post as Maglan’s deputy commander.
“I wish us extensive operational friction, many challenges, and above all, many smiles. Sometimes from joy, sometimes from anger, but all out of love and foresight. For one goal that we sometimes forget, pure and moral yet unbearably heavy, to protect the land to which its lovers gave everything they could. Their lives,” he said, repeating his brother’s words with visible emotion.
Lt. Col. S. said he aspires to lead the battalion in line with the values that defined his brother’s life, devotion to the mission and relentless pursuit of excellence. He added that in the way he commanded and fought, Chen knew how “to mobilize those around him for every mission, while demanding uncompromising professionalism and genuine care. He always acted transparently and debriefed the truth after every action.”
In memory of their brother and of their close friend Maj. Ariel Ben Moshe, a commander in Sayeret Matkal who was killed on October 7 in the battle at Kibbutz Kissufim, the bereaved brothers established a pre-military academy in the community of Tzohar near the Gaza border.
According to Lt. Col. S., the academy was founded “on the shared traits of Chen and Ariel, encouragement of initiative and striving for victory. It integrates excellence across the spectrum.” He said the program combines physical and mental resilience training with active participation in the rehabilitation of the Gaza border communities and Tzohar. “Already midway through the first cycle, we have received thousands of applications for the next intake,” he added.
The Buchris family endured another loss this year when their sister Liel died of aggressive cancer, diagnosed only after Chen’s death. “From five we became three, our hearts are broken,” their sister, Capt. (res.) Matzada, said at the time. “I asked Liel not to leave me, but she said the pain was too strong. I reminded her of Chen’s saying, ‘Get up every morning and defeat yourself.’ That is what sustained her, but her soul, grieving Chen, hurt even more than her body.”
In his speech upon entering the role, Lt. Col. S. thanked his family for teaching him “what true nobility under fire means over the past two years.”
On the final night of Hanukkah, Lt. Col. S. lit candles with the battalion’s fighters. “I wish for us to be the best, period,” he said. “To carry out every mission with absolute precision and never stop debriefing ourselves until execution is flawless. To love our people fiercely and remember that the fallen of the unit are our red line in every sense, moral, professional and command. In their path we will act and fight.”
Chen was the youngest of five siblings, four years younger than his middle brother S. In a previous interview with Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth, S. said, “Woe to anyone who feels pity for my brother because he fell. Someone told me he was murdered. He was not murdered. He fought and fell while fighting. That was his life, and that was the life of many commanders and fighters that day. Our role is to run into the fire, to kill, and sometimes to be killed. When Chen heard we were engaged, he smiled and charged forward.”
He also spoke of their close bond. “Chen and I were best friends. We both loved sports. The teachers saw all five brothers pass through the school and watched the models improve until Chen arrived. During his first two years in the army, I was very present. Every four months he received another commendation. He was never boastful. No one knew, but I did. Outstanding recruit, then outstanding fighter, graduating commanders course with distinction, excelling as a commander, and of course in officers training as well.”