“Noam had big dreams and was an entrepreneur at heart. The absurdity is that he wanted to go into the field of drones. It’s unbelievable that a drone got him first,” said his mother, Liat Hamburger, Sunday morning. Staff Sergeant Noam Hamburger was killed on Friday by a Hezbollah drone strike on the Biranit outpost near the northern border.
In a joint interview with her husband Eyal on ynet, she added: “Three of his friends were injured and I wish them all a full recovery. I hope we can already come together and understand that our strength is in unity. Enough with the division. We have lost what is dearest to us. It’s time to be united.”
Staff Sergeant Hamburger, who was due to complete his mandatory service in about a month, served as a combat technology and maintenance soldier in the 401st Armored Brigade's 9th Battalion, which had suffered heavy losses in the northern sector. He lived in Atlit and studied at Kfar Galim High School. In his role, he was responsible for repairing and maintaining engineering equipment deep in combat zones, including beyond the border and inside enemy territory, sometimes under fire.
He is survived by three sisters: Roni, 21, and twins Adi and Yuval, 18. He will be laid to rest at 6 p.m. in the military section of the cemetery in Atlit.
His father said Noam studied electronics, took part in a robotics club, continued to technician-level studies in grades 13–14, and entered the army in a technical field. “He enlisted in the war on October 30, 2023. His entire military service was around combat. In Gaza as well, and recently they went up into Lebanon. He contributed a great deal. He constantly made sure the equipment was fully operational. Even when he came home for weekends, he checked it. The profession was important to him. He was supposed to go on pre-discharge leave in the coming days and finish his regular service. He had planned what his reserve service would look like. He wanted to stay and contribute, then it got him.”
“The issue of drones deeply troubled him every time they went in to work on equipment inside Lebanon. Over the holiday, he stayed at the outpost on Israeli territory and they probably felt safer. He didn’t think it would get him inside the country.”
His mother, Liat, added: “He was very afraid of drones, which became a terror there for the soldiers with all those buzzing sounds. I kept telling him to wear a helmet and protective vest, and he would say, ‘How will I work? Mom, there’s a lot of work in the sector.’”
The family had been planning to visit Noam during the Shavuot holiday. “He loved the holiday and the food,” his mother said. “We prepared everything, and in the morning we also hosted the family and had a video call, because it’s impossible without Noam, but he didn’t pick up. It was suspicious. I texted him, ‘Answer me,’ and he still didn’t.”
She added about her son: “He was a gift of a child, sweet and wonderful. He was simply born with a smile. We didn’t know what to name him, but when he came out, it was clear he would be Noam [Hebrew for pleasentness]. A sweet, smiling, kind child. Wherever he went, always smiling, always managing and surrounded by friends. There was a quiet strength in him. He achieved everything he wanted in his own way, with his humility. He was an amazing brother. Being the eldest brother to three girls is a challenge, and he knew how to reach each one, lead them, teach them and support them. Truly, it still hasn’t sunk in.”
“Our second daughter dealt with cancer for three years, beat it, and then fell ill again. The second time was harder, including a bone marrow transplant and travel to the United States. Noam was always there, supporting and accompanying her. He could have chosen differently, to be in a less dangerous unit. And every time I told him, ‘Noam, let me call, let me talk to the army, let me share,’ he said, ‘No. I want to be there. Do you understand, Mom? The soldiers are fighting there and when the tank stops working, everything stops. That’s my job. To fix the tank so they can defend themselves, that’s a huge responsibility.’ When I said it was dangerous, he said, ‘Mom, don’t get involved.’”