A 21-year-old Israel Defense Forces commando left the front line in Gaza to donate life-saving bone marrow to a 5-year-old girl battling leukemia.
The soldier, identified as A., a resident of Kfar Tavor near Mount Tabor in the eastern Lower Galilee serving in the Golani Commando Unit (formerly known as the Golani Reconnaissance Battalion), was contacted by Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem as he was about to leave the combat zone, Israeli outlet Channel 12 News reported on Thursday.
Years earlier, as he joined the army at the IDF’s induction center, he had submitted a saliva sample to Hadassah’s volunteer bone marrow donor registry. That sample led to his identification as a perfect genetic match for a young patient in need.
“I was sitting on the truck, packed and ready to head out of Gaza, when I got the call,” A. recalled. “The coordinator told me I could save a life. At first, I didn’t realize how big of a privilege this was.”
Though the process was initially delayed due to the recipient’s medical condition, A. was eventually located again—this time during another deployment in Gaza—after Hadassah staff tracked him down through his commanding officer. With permission from his battalion commander, he was pulled from the field and proceeded with the procedure in Jerusalem.
The donation was performed via bone marrow extraction from the pelvic bone—a method requested due to the young age of the recipient.
The procedure, while slightly invasive, is safe and does not pose long-term risks to the donor, said Professor Reuven Or, director of Hadassah’s bone marrow registry.
“This donation can only happen because of the choice soldiers are given on enlistment day to join the registry,” said Eden Dahan, a Hadassah transplant coordinator. “We preserve those samples for years, and when a match is found—even during wartime—we reach out.”
A. is now recovering and feels immense pride. “There’s no better feeling than knowing I saved a life,” he said. “I hope the transplant succeeds. That’s what matters most.”
According to Hadassah registry director Ofra Elkobi, A. is one of many soldiers located during the war who have paused their duties to donate. “Israel’s younger generation is proving to be the generation of victory—not only in battle, but in saving lives,” she said.
