When the news of Hamas’s October 7 attacks reached Staff-Sergeant-Major Tom Segal, the 28-year-old rushed to join the reserves and begin protecting Israel’s northern border, his mother Samdar told Ynet on Friday after learning the news of his death.
The 28-year-old had joined after learning that his close friend Lior Rudaeff was abducted to Gaza on October 7. It was later discovered that Lior was murdered by the invading terrorists and his body was taken to Gaza.
The IDF promoted Segal after his death.
The pair had reportedly grown up together, attending the same classes and later lived together as roommates in Tel Aviv.
Segal, who was from Ein Habesor but later moved to Kibbutz Dorotz, had worked for a company making weapons.
Tom's mother, Samdar, told Ynet, "On October 7, Tom was in Sinai. He left Sinai at eight in the morning and immediately went north to the reserves. Since the outbreak of the war, he has been in the reserves, also in the south, but mainly in the north. Tom went out to fight wholeheartedly, Knowing that we are fighting for our lives, that we have an enemy to defeat.
"He loved life, he loved to travel, he was in New Zealand, he rode motorcycles in the last month, but he only managed to ride it once or twice."
Segal left behind his parents, Samdar and Micah, and brothers, Lior and Aviv.
His funeral will be held on Friday, October 25, 2024, at 16:00 at the cemetery in Moshav Ein Habesor.
Fallen Soldiers
Four other soldiers fell in the incident alongside Segal.
Major (Res.) Dan Maori, 43, from Beit Yitzhak, served as a battalion deputy commander; Captain (Res.) Alon Safrai, 28, from Jerusalem; Chief Warrant Officer (Res.) Omri Lotan, 47, from Bat Hefer; Chief Warrant Officer (Res.) Guy Idan, 51, from Kibbutz Shomrat also fell in Lebanon.