On Monday, the IDF announced the death of Maj. Yisachar Natan from Kiryat Malachi, a 28-year-old combat officer in the commando brigade.
Natan was killed during a battle in the northern Gaza Strip.
In a paratrooper brigade promotional video on the IDF's YouTube channel three years ago, the late Natan, serving as a company commander, spoke about one of his tours in Gaza and expressed concerns about the possibility that the communities on the border with the Strip could be attacked and massacred. After the events of October 7th, his words now carry a chilling weight.
"I chose to be a fighter because this is my mission," he said. "I have followed in the footsteps of my father, who fought in the Yom Kippur War; he was a fighter in the Shaked Patrol."
"Being a paratrooper for me is ultimately walking around with the red beret, with the green jacket on the weekend going home," Natan continued. "It's standing at the plane's door a second before jumping and realizing that this thing is scary but doing it in the best way."
In the video, he recalled how he and his comrades once found themselves serving on the Gaza border during a round of conflict between Israel and Hamas, as the terrorists were shooting missiles and mortars.
"A hundred meters behind me, I really could see the village of Netiv HaAsara. I felt that if I had not been there to protect its residents, they would kidnap them and, ultimately, massacre them."
The mourning of Kiryat Malachi
Natan was honored by the municipality of Kiryat Malachi.
"The city of Kiryat Malachi bows its head upon receiving the news of the death of the late Maj. Yisachar Natan," the city said in a statement. "Among other things, he commanded the force that located the terrorists who carried out the attack in Elad about a year and a half ago."
"When he heard about the terrorists' break-in in the morning of Simchat Torah, he quickly drove to the border and bravely saved many families. Major Natan was killed in a battle in the north of the Gaza Strip. The Kiryat Malachi municipality will support the family in this difficult time."