Sagui Dekel-Chen

Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35, was a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel when he became a victim of the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. On that fateful day, Hamas militants entered Kibbutz Nir Oz, initiating a harrowing siege that would forever change the lives of its residents.

Sagui was only about 200 yards away from his home when he first spotted the heavily armed and precisely organized Hamas terrorists infiltrating the kibbutz. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he and a few others immediately raised the alarm, prompting residents to enter and secure the sealed rooms of their homes for safety. Sagui made sure his wife, Avital, and their children were secure before returning outside to join the kibbutz's security team in confronting the threat.

The siege dragged on for hours, and the last contact with Sagui was at 9:30 a.m., according to his father, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, a Connecticut-born Hebrew University professor who also resided at Nir Oz but was away on business at the time. During the ordeal, Avital, Sagui's wife, could hear her husband engaged in hand-to-hand combat, further intensifying the family's distress and fear for his safety.

Sagui's mother, Neomit Dekel-Chen, 63, who also lived in Nir Oz, was taken captive along with her neighbors, last seen traveling in an electric cart towards Gaza. An IDF helicopter targeted the terrorists and driver, resulting in injuries to Neomit. Despite her injuries, she managed to make her way back to the kibbutz, where she was eventually rescued and evacuated.