First Sgt. Uriel Avraham, 29, a member of the Israel Police’s Negev Yasam patrol unit, was killed battling Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Re’im in southern Israel on October 7.

Avraham, a resident of Netivot, is survived by his wife, Hodaya Avraham, two young children, Hallel and Marom Rafael, as well as his parents and many siblings.

Noam Suissa, a friend of Uriel who is also a member of Yasam, told the Walla news site about their activities together on that fateful Saturday morning, the final hours of his life.

“We understood that there were terrorists on several fronts, we heard about clashes and we understood that in Ofakim there was a serious battle, so we headed there — we didn’t even hesitate,” said Suissa.

Later, they heard that the situation in and near Kibbutz Re’im was even worse, and decided to head that way. But the two got separated, and then Suissa heard that there were officers who had been wounded. “I saw not far from me Uriel lying on the ground, after he was the first to head into combat. He fought the terrorists bravely.”

Suissa said he tried to evacuate Avraham for treatment, but it was too late. “I felt like my world was destroyed — we left together for battle and only I was left standing.”

His colleague said that Avraham “saved many citizens’ lives, a warrior like no other… a noble man and a good friend. Even during the battle in Re’im he was thinking how to help wounded offers and civilians who were still under fire.”

Mor Lavi Avraham, his sister-in-law, wrote on Facebook that Uriel was “a rare man and an amazing father — I never got to tell you this, but I truly loved you, you would make me laugh hysterically and you taught me so much without even trying.”

She said that Avraham taught her “so much about modesty and humility, optimism, faith and joy of life, respecting parents and respect in general to all people however they are. You were always so sweet and always with a huge smile on your face.”

His friend, Moshe Abekasis, described Avraham as “one of those people who have never harmed another person, a huge warrior who never chased honor, but on the other hand, honor chased him.”

Abekasis wrote on Facebook that “anything I say won’t reflect even a little bit of who you were, of the contribution you gave to the people of Israel.”

His cousin, Aviel Avraham, the deputy Israeli ambassador to Ghana, Siera Leon and Liberia, wrote on Facebook that “the tears don’t stop and the heart is broken, I can not accept this bitter news.” He thanked Avraham “for the light you spread that we were privileged to be illuminated by… we all going to miss you so very so much, our hero of Israel.”

Hodaya, his wife, eulogized him on Facebook as “my husband, my beloved, my angel… you were my ray of sunshine in life, my support system, the best husband, the best father.”

She wrote that those who were with him in his last moments shared his final words with her, which were: “Tell my wife and our kids that I love them so much and I will watch over them from above,” before he recited the “Shema Yisrael” foundational Jewish prayer.

“My love, we will memorialize you, you will be a symbol and a figure to all those in our world, just as you were in life,” she wrote. “You are an inspiration, a role model, I will have to learn to live with your soul up above.”

“I met you as a warrior in uniform, and I part from you as a warrior in uniform,” said wife Hodaya.
Source: The Times of Israel