Just over a year ago, Anton and Yarden were strangers serving in the same elite Givati unit. But one night in the heart of Gaza’s Abasan neighborhood in Khan Younis, as flames filled the rooms and death passed between them, something extraordinary was born: a bond forged in blood.
The Battle Inside the Abasan Neighborhood
“This isn’t a regular friendship,” says Yarden. “It was born in the worst moment imaginable – lying on the floor, staring death in the face.”
The two spoke in a special interview for the IDF Spokesperson’s site.
It began on February 24, 2024. Givati’s reconnaissance unit was operating deep in Abasan as part of the ground campaign in Gaza.
“We were clearing the area, setting up positions, and all of us were huddled in a single room for the night to minimize movement,” Anton recalls.
Then—he saw feet beneath a couch. “Before I could react, I was shot at point-blank range.”
“He jumped to his position, returned fire—and was hit immediately.”
“A burst of gunfire hit both my legs. It also struck my ceramic vest—that’s what saved me,” Anton says. “I fell straight into the room, and then there was this moment of silence. Everyone realized—it wasn’t me shooting. I’d been shot.”
The battle began. Staff Sgt. Neriya Balta z”l was the first to respond. “He jumped into position, shot back—and was immediately hit,” Anton remembers.
Ten minutes of relentless firefight followed. The commander called for reinforcements.
“All I could think about was Anton”
Yarden, part of the arriving reinforcements, describes the moment: “Smoke was everywhere. Zero visibility. You couldn’t see one meter ahead. But all I’m thinking about is Anton—what he’s going through.”
“Then I hear him screaming from a corner. I asked for permission to jump in. I knew it was either go in—or leave him behind. No middle ground.”
“He’s bleeding, I’m bleeding—but he keeps squeezing my hand”
Yarden found Anton lying on the ground. “I put on a tourniquet, moved him to a safer spot. He’s bleeding, I’m bleeding—but he kept squeezing my hand every three seconds. That’s what kept me awake,” says Yarden.
Then—an explosion occurred.
“Gas! Gas!” someone shouted.
A bullet had struck a gas tank in the kitchen, creating a fireball that raced across the floor.
“Yarden just lay down on top of me like a blanket—to shield me with his body,” Anton says.
“Only when I felt shrapnel in my neck did I realize I was hit too,” adds Yarden. “I knew if I closed my eyes—I wouldn’t wake up. I stayed conscious by sheer willpower.”
Three Days in a Coma
Both were evacuated by helicopter to Soroka Medical Center, along with their company commander, who was also severely injured. They remained in a coma for three days. When Yarden met Anton’s father in the hospital hallway, he asked, ‘Are you Yarden?’ and hugged me like I was his own son.”
Now, Inseparable
Today, Anton and Yarden are closer than brothers. Both bear a shared tattoo of two ravens—in memory of their fallen brothers-in-arms: Staff Sgt. Neriya Balta and Staff Sgt. Ido Zaryan z”l.
“We were a team of warriors,” Anton says. “Everyone gave something that night. Without Ido and Neriya—we wouldn’t be here. Yarden gave me life. I’d give him mine if it were the other way around.”
“Our hearts are still in that cursed room in Abasan,” they say. “And from there—we only rise. Together.”
