The heartbreaking story of Eliora Rosenfeld is one of tears, sorrow, and pride. At just 22 years old, she has lost not one, but two loved ones in combat.
“We met when I approached him on the train,” Eliora recalls about her late partner, Staff Sgt. Hallel Shmuel Saadon Saadon. “Our first date was at my place in Ra’anana. We baked cookies, put ice cream between two of them, and watched a movie. Right after that, he was called back to base.”
3 View gallery
Eliora Rosenfeld holding a photo of her brother Yisrael Natan Rosenfeld
(Photo: Yaron Brener)
Hallel, she says, had a razor-sharp sense of humor, a big smile, and eyes full of light. “He loved life deeply and knew how to make the most of every moment. He was driven by truth and justice, full of compassion, and gave without expecting anything in return. Creativity flowed from him naturally — he especially loved working with his hands, carving wood. He always carried a carving knife and wood pieces with him, handing out his creations to family and friends. We were together for just four months, but it was a great love.”
During the Simchat Torah weekend on October 7, Hallel— a combat soldier in the Nahal Reconnaissance Unit — was stationed at the Sufa outpost. As the Hamas assault began, he quickly donned his uniform, grabbed his rifle, and ran to fight. At the front guard post, alongside his team commander, he tried to hold off the terrorists. With his characteristic alertness, he noticed they were also firing through holes in the concrete barriers around the outpost.
When the area became untenable due to crossfire and grenades, the soldiers retreated into the mess hall. Hallel and two others stayed behind to guard the entrance. There, standing between the terrorists and his comrades, he fought with unwavering courage until he fell.
“I hadn’t even begun to process my boyfriend’s death,” Eliora says with a heavy heart, “when another tragedy struck — my heroic brother Natan was also killed.”
She describes her brother Sgt. Yisrael Natan Rosenfeld as someone whose smile could light up a room. “Anyone who saw him couldn’t stay sad for long. You could always cry on his shoulder. As his older sister, I was so proud of him.”
In the army, Natan “truly blossomed,” she says. “He was supposed to go to the squad commanders’ training, but refused to leave his friends behind on the battlefield.”
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Natan served as a combat soldier in the 601st Battalion of the Combat Engineering Corps, within the 401st Armored Brigade’s combined battle team. According to an initial investigation, his unit was struck by an explosive device planted inside or at the entrance of a building. The explosion occurred in an area where the IDF had recently begun demolishing dozens of structures in preparation for establishing new posts along the buffer zone in northern Gaza.
Eleven years ago, the Rosenfeld family made aliyah from Britain to Ra’anana, driven by a sense of mission and a desire to raise their children in Israel. Eliora and Natan were two of their four children. Their mother, Samantha, is a teacher at TALI school in the city. Together with her husband Avi, the couple built a new life in Israel for their family.
3 View gallery
Eliora with the photos of her partner Hallel and her brother Natan
(Photo: Yaron Brener)
“Israel was very strong,” says Avi. “He told us long ago, ‘I want to be a combat soldier. I want to do something for our country.’ When he was assigned to combat engineering, he was thrilled. He loved his comrades, and the army was a huge source of pride for him. His commanders were extraordinary — they were like family. Every time he came home, he had a smile on his face.”
“He knew exactly why he was doing it — for us, his family, his people. I believe he’s earned a place in history. I’m incredibly proud of what he did for the country he loved so much.”
Eliora concludes, “To lose Hallel at the start of the war, and then my heroic brother — it’s a deep, unrelenting pain. But I’m so proud of both of them. They were heroes who fell for the people of Israel.”