Tomer Arava Eliaz

Tomer Arava Eliaz was a carefree, cheerful 17 year-old teenager who lived in Nachal Oz with his mom and his step siblings. He loved nature, riding his bike around the kibbutz, and uploading dance videos to TikTok of himself with his friends or his siblings. Not necessarily the profile of a person who through sheer cool level-headed demeanor managed to save over 20 kibbutz members.

The story of Tomer Arava Eliaz was carefully pieced together by combining footage of the terrorists’ live videos on Facebook together with home security cameras. The first video was recorded live on his mom’s Facebook by one of the five terrorists who entered his home. The terrorists demand at gunpoint that Tomer come with them to the neighboring houses in order to disclose where all the families were hiding.

They first lead Tomer to his aunt’s house and repeatedly ask in English, “Where are the people?” Tomer opens his hands, shrugs, and shakes his head. “Nobody’s home. They’re not here.” He of course knew exactly where they were but managed to mislead the terrorists while he was still at gunpoint. With one gesture he saves more than five lives in the first house.

The next house Tomer is led to is the Freibach residence. Tomer was at this house the night before hanging out with the older Freibach boys so again he knew that there were people in this house and where the mamad was. Again with one gesture he saves more than ten lives.

Tomer is then taken to the house of Gali and Tzachi Idan. This time the terrorists immediately shoot at the mamad instantly killing the oldest daughter, Maayan.

Tomer, still at gunpoint, is now led to the house of Lishai and Omri Miran who were together in the mamad with their two toddlers, Ronni and Alma. This time the terrorists hear noise from the toddlers and Tomer is forced to call out “Please open the door or they’ll kill me.” The terrorists place everyone in the kitchen and Lishai realizes that baby Ronni isn’t with her. Tomer takes charge and says that he’ll bring the baby and he hands Ronni to her mom. Lishai is convinced that what saved her is having the baby in her arms. 

Now the terrorists bring everyone back to the Idan household and Tomer thinks that maybe he’s finally being released until the terrorists motion him to come with them. Tzachi Idan, Omri Miran, and Tomer Arava Eliaz are all taken together as hostages. At the gates of the kibbutz Tomer recognizes what looks like IDF forces and he bravely decides to risk escaping from the terrorists. The terrorists catch on to his escape and murder him at the entrance to the kibbutz. 

The story of Tomer Arava Eliaz is the embodiment of indescribable evil as well as unimaginable bravery that define the fabric of our nation’s tenacity.