Erez Halfon, a 33-year-old reservist from Tel Aviv, was laid to rest this week at the Kiryat Shaul cemetery in the city, after drowning in a diving accident during a vacation in Greece.
Halfon served as a soldier in Sayeret Egoz after completing his studies at the Beit El pre-army program. During his regular service, he participated in the fighting in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge and continued to serve in active reserves in recent years. On October 7th, he rescued civilians from Kibbutz Be’eri and participated in the ground combat in Gaza as part of the 11th Brigade.
During Operation Protective Edge, Halfon was part of a force operating in the Shejaiya neighborhood, in a mission to gather intelligence on Hamas tunnels. His unit stepped on a bomb, in an event in which Staff Sergeant Yuval Dagan and Staff Sergeant Tal Yifrah were killed, and about 20 soldiers were wounded, including the unit commander. Halfon, who was serving as a medic at the time, provided life-saving treatment to the unit commander under heavy fire – continuing until he was evacuated by helicopter from Unit 669.
For his actions in the event, he was awarded a citation from the Southern Command, which noted that “Staff Sergeant Halfon showed dedication to the mission and pursuit of victory, responsibility, and professionalism… He showed initiative, mental strength, and determination to fight and perform his duties.”
A friend from his unit told Ynet, “As someone who fought alongside Erez in both Operation Protective Edge and Operation Swords of Iron, I always felt I had someone to rely on. He was a sharp, brave, and highly capable fighter who approached every mission with determination and powerful inner peace.”
His sister Adva added, “Erez was my younger brother, and we always had a deep friendship. He was an honest, direct person, driven by purpose. In the army, he flourished, always striving for excellence, and was very satisfied with his service in Egoz. He served in reserves for about two months, spending an extended period in Gaza.”
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