From mountain climbing and extreme surfing to the elite unit: the path of Eitan Karlsbrun, OBM
"They see me and they rely on me. And now I have a thousand times more responsibility for my soldiers. I have to arrive at my sharpest, my most professional." That is what Staff Sgt. Eitan Karlsbrun of the Givati Brigade said just days before his death, when he was appointed a team commander.
Staff Sgt. Eitan Karlsbrun, just 20 at the time of his death, was killed on June 10, 2024, in combat in Rafah in the Gaza Strip. He was born in Jerusalem, on Mount Scopus, and his parents speak of the special child he was. "A beautiful baby with blond hair, fair-skinned, a little tuft above his head," his mother, Hanna, recalls. "He was mischievous, but in moderation."
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A classic middle child, he had a distinctive character. "From a young age he would make a serious face and a very particular movement with his hands," his father says. That rebellious expression followed him into his military service, and his father, Baruch, shares with longing that "even when he was in the army there’s a video of him making exactly the same face and the same movements."
The Karlsbrun family had a special love for extreme trips, in Israel and around the world. "Either we were traveling, or we were climbing, or we were building something," Baruch explains, describing unique trips and mountain climbs in Italy, Austria and Greece. And like a seasoned climber, Eitan had good hands not only on the mountain. "Fixing things at home, building things or connecting something, he would get it in a flash," his father says. "When friends from the army came and told stories about what was happening in Gaza, 'Yeah, we got to some building and there’s no water and no electricity,'Eitan would say, 'OK, one second,' and come back ten minutes later. There was water and electricity."
‘Behind the tough exterior was a gentleness not everyone got to see’
In the Scouts youth movement, Eitan flourished, led and formed many friendships. There he also met Roni Dishi, his partner. Roni Dishi, Eitan’s partner, says: "Eitan and I met in the Scouts. We were together for two and a half years. He was my first relationship, and I was his first as well. We really learned together how to be a couple and what it means to be in love. We knew each other by a glance. He knew what I was feeling even before I said anything. At first I kind of liked his tough, indifferent side. When he was with me, a certain gentleness and a kind of love came out, which I think he didn’t show much in his day-to-day life."
His diligence and attention to detail were an inseparable part of who he was, and among the qualities that led him to choose meaningful combat service. Hanna says: "Eitan always tried to do things in the best possible way." His father adds: "He had lists, tasks, and he was meticulous about every tiny detail."
Excelled in his ability to lead soldiers
Combat service was a mission for him. When he enlisted, it was clear he was headed for elite unit selection. That was his decision. "If he was already there, he wanted to do something meaningful," his mother says. During his service, he stood out for his leadership and ability to lead soldiers. "The weekend before he fell," his brother says, "his company commander, Capt. Tal Peshvilsky (Talpesh), who was killed alongside him in the same incident, decided to appoint him as a team commander. Eitan took on that role with tremendous strength." A few days later, during a raid in an area of Rafah where intelligence indicated the presence of tunnel shafts, and as part of a mission to locate Israeli hostages and bring them home, an explosive device detonated. Roni, his partner, remembers the moment she was told. "I remember they just said to me, 'I’m sorry,' and I dropped to the floor and started crying," she recalls in pain, adding that it was the first funeral she had ever attended. "I was very afraid of the funeral because I had never been to one before."
Each of them encounters grief differently. "Sometimes it’s OK, and sometimes it’s much harder," Baruch shares openly. Roni says: "One time I’m OK, one time I’m in denial, one time I’m terribly, terribly sad. The values of caring, diligence and action, and giving 100 percent, I think those are the qualities most appreciated in him and also the most worthwhile to adopt." His parents speak with pride of the special child he was. "I could do anything with him," his father says. "I could go work with him, go traveling with him, sit and have a beer with him. I think we were also friends. I am very proud of who Eitan was. A person with sensitivity and soul on one side, and on the other side a professional." His mother adds: "Eitan taught me that you can do things even when you’re afraid. The fact that he managed to cope and to lead people forward, that is amazing in my eyes."
‘Do you think I'm not afraid? Everyone is afraid. Everyone is afraid. Just look ahead and keep paddling’
Ran, his brother, describes how the loss reaches him through his own children. "I feel a deep sense of missed opportunity for my kids. They simply didn’t have enough time to get to know him. He was so excited about them. He would ask me to send him photos, and say it gave him strength when he was inside."
The smile, spirit and courage of Staff Sgt. Eitan Karlsbrun will remain etched in the hearts of all who knew him. As quoted on a sticker prepared in his memory: "Do you think I'm not afraid? Everyone is afraid. Everyone is afraid. Just look ahead and keep paddling." "This is a whole generation that is fighting. An amazing generation," his mother emphasizes. "Anyone who thought this was the TikTok generation was probably wrong." The memory of Eitan, his family, his friends and his Scouts campers all remind us of the importance of courage, giving and love. They will always remember the smile and the enormous heart of a young man who was a beacon of inspiration to so many.
May his memory be a blessing.
Staff Sergeant
Eitan Karlsbrun