Staff Sgt.
Oriya Yaakov
Oriya Yaakov was 20 years old when he fell in the War of Iron Swords.
He served as a beloved team commander in the Combat Engineering Corps.
Oriya’s battalion joined the ground maneuvers in the first days of the war.
On December 12, 2023, during a ground maneuver in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, a bullet hit him directly. Uriah absorbed the impact, thus preventing further casualties.
Oriya left behind his parents, four brothers and sisters, and a girlfriend he was about to marry.
“We knew he was in a dangerous place,
He always said:
If I die, it will be on the battlefield.“
Teren (his father) says.
“That was his path, that’s what he chose. He chose to be a warrior and defend the country.“
The light continues
On the 1st of Tevet, 5784, Oriya’s funeral was held.
Dozens of city residents accompanied Uriah on his final journey.
After the funeral,
a pair of parents arrived at the tent of comfort
and said a baby’s Brit milah ceremony was held in the city at precisely those hours.
The baby was named Oriya because he was born in Hanukkah, just like ours.
"I hope to return to you safe and healthy."
From a letter Oriya wrote to his girlfriend Liora during his operational activity in Gaza.
Spread light and joy in the world
After his fall, friends, family and relatives came to tell how Oriya would spread light and joy wherever he went.
The stories told about him can be read in the memorial booklet
(to read, click here).
I'm angry with you for entering Gaza.
Oriya brought light to our house.
He was very attached to his brothers and sisters, Liav, Avia, Lian, and Adele.
Avia, his older sister, whom he loved so much, got married two and a half months after his fall,
and immortalized him at her wedding.
A conversation between Oriya and his little sister Adel just before entering Gaza.
Donation to our association
In Oriya’s memory, we are committed to bringing light and kindness to others—just as he did in his life. Our volunteer work will take place in hospitals, organizations for children with disabilities, nursing homes, and charitable institutions (Gemachim), with the goal of spreading hope, compassion, and a sense of togetherness.
Through these acts, we strive to continue Oriyah’s legacy and ensure that his values and love for others live on.