The mother of an Israeli soldier killed during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack said she has chosen not to watch newly released video showing her son being dragged away during his abduction.
Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel fought in a tank that day alongside hostage Nimrod Cohen and Sgt. Shaked Dahan, who was also killed. On Monday Cohen’s family published video footage that showed Daniel being pulled away by terrorists. His mother, Merav, said she could not bring herself to view it.
“I prefer to remember Oz as he was. I want to remember his smile, not the moments of horror,” she told Ynet. “I don’t want to remember him through those harsh images.”
Daniel served in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade. He was declared killed in action about four months after his abduction, following 141 days in which his fate was unknown. The army’s chief rabbi determined his death based on findings that allowed his family to bury him, even though his body remains in Gaza.
Merav Daniel described her son as gifted, devoted and full of music. “He was perfect in my eyes. Handsome, kind, a boy full of love, joy and gratitude. He excelled at everything. He honored his parents, he respected every person,” she said.
During the week of mourning, she said, the family heard countless stories from friends who described him as their best friend.
She also spoke of his final moments of resistance. “Oz came out of the tank alive, on his feet. He chose to fight his captors until the very last moment. He tried to grab a grenade from one of the terrorists, and that’s when they shot him and took him into Gaza when he was no longer alive,” she said.
The mother said her son had often spoken about the risk of being kidnapped, telling her before his military service, “I’ll resist, I won’t let them take me.” She said she realized later he had done exactly that. “He sacrificed his life out of choice,” she said.
Despite her grief, she said she wants to focus on her son’s life rather than his death. “Maybe if he hadn’t resisted he would still be alive, but that wouldn’t have been Oz. He really was a true hero. I want to remember his beautiful smile. That’s the Oz I will carry with me forever.”