Sgt.-Maj. (res.) Saadia Yaakov Dery, aged 27, from Tel Aviv, was one of the two soldiers who the IDF announced on Friday had fallen in battle in the Gaza Strip from mortar fire.
Dery was from the 9203 Battalion in the Alexandroni Brigade and fell in combat in the central Gaza Strip. He is survived by his wife, Rachel, and two children, aged two and one.
Dery was studying for rabbinical exams before he was drafted on October 7 for reserves. His parents, Lilly and Chaim Dery, are considered central figures in the Israeli settlement Eli. Dery was the second oldest son among six other siblings.
Following his death, his mother said, "My Saadia was a child who always put everyone else before himself. He did much more than expected of him in every field. He was educated, studying for rabbinical exams while also beginning to study for a bachelor's degree in Education. He studied in every free moment he had and had a great sense of humor."
"He was also a wonderful father to his children Halili and Yinon. A hero in both body and spirit who never complained," Lilly said.
Dedicated to his country
Recounting Dery's dedication to his country, Lilly explained how, on the holiday of Simchat Torah during the Hamas attacks, he enlisted immediately.
"Saadia was in love with this nation. He loved the Torah and the land—he fought for it," she explained.
Dery fell in combat alongside Sgt.-Maj. (res.) Omer Smadga, aged 25, from Ganot Hadar, from the 9203 Battalion in the Alexandroni Brigade.
The military noted that three soldiers had been severely wounded in the same incident. They were transferred to the hospital for further medical treatment.