Israel this week reached a tragic milestone, with the military confirming that 900 soldiers have been killed since the start of the Gaza war. The rising toll has become both a marker of time and a measure of loss, each number representing a shattered family and grieving community.
The 900th soldier to fall was Sergeant First Class (res.) Ariel Lubliner, 33, who was killed earlier this week. Lubliner and his wife, Barbara, first met while studying Hebrew at Kibbutz Na’an. Immigrants from Brazil and Spain, they built their life together in Kiryat Bialik and welcomed a son, Lior.
During the war, Lubliner was called up for four lengthy reserve deployments, leaving Barbara to care for their infant alone. Known for his cheerful spirit, volunteer work, and love of music, ping-pong, and coffee-making, he was remembered by friends and family as someone who brought joy wherever he went.
At his funeral, Barbara eulogized him through tears: “Thank you for sharing 11 years of your life with me. I will teach Lior everything about you when he grows up. My love, how will I live without you?” His son sat on his freshly dug grave calling for him.
As the casualty count rises, it has become increasingly difficult to hold onto the individual stories behind each number. Families and the military continue to return to the official “authorized for release” notices, struggling to preserve the names and faces as the lists lengthen.
While the exact order of the fallen can never be perfectly known — the chaos of October 7 left some of the earliest victims unidentified — each number etched into the toll represents another life cut short. For Israel, the count is both a measure of sacrifice and a painful reminder that the war continues.
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