19-Year-Old Israeli Soldier Threw Himself on a Grenade To Save His Friends

“I did everything for the country. I did everything for my friends.”

Those were the last words of 19-year-old Sergeant Matan Abergil.

They were spoken not in comfort, not in peace, but in the middle of war—after he had thrown his body over a live grenade to protect his brothers in arms. His life ended in a moment, but what he gave the world in that instant will be remembered forever.

On this Memorial Day in Israel, we pause to remember the thousands who have fallen in defense of our home. Among them is Matan—one of the youngest, one of the bravest.

October 7th, 2023: Simchat Torah Turned to Darkness

Matan was a soldier in the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion. On that day, he and six of his fellow soldiers were inside an armored personnel carrier near Kibbutz Nir Am, just outside the Gaza Strip. It was Simchat Torah—a holiday meant for dancing, joy, and celebrating the gift of the Torah. But in southern Israel, that joy was shattered by a wave of unimaginable terror.

The team came under heavy attack—missiles, mortars, anti-tank fire. They fought back from inside the vehicle, surrounded by Hamas terrorists who had crossed the border with one goal: to kill.

And then, it happened. A grenade was thrown into their APC. Matan saw it. He realized instantly that there wasn’t enough time to throw it out. So he chose to do the only thing that could save the others.

He jumped on it.

He pressed it to his body.

He took the blast.

A Brother, A Shield, A Hero

Matan's father, Aryeh Abergil, described his son's final act with quiet strength and pride. “He turned his back to his friends, pulled the grenade in, and took the explosion with his body,” he said. “That’s who he was.”

After the explosion, Matan’s body collapsed over his friend Daniel—shielding him even in death.

He died shortly after, his body torn apart, his blood soaked into the steel of the vehicle. But before his soul left this world, he managed to speak. Barely breathing, he said, “I tried to save all of Am Yisrael, and most of all—us” (As was reported on Bhol).

That was his heart. That was his mission. That was Matan.

The Meaning of Memorial Day in Israel

In Israel, Memorial Day is not just a date on the calendar. It is a sacred moment. The entire nation comes to a halt. Sirens pierce the air, and everyone stands still. Cars on highways, children in schools, shoppers in markets—everyone stops. And we remember.

We remember because we live.

We live because people like Matan chose to stand between us and death.

This is not an abstract idea. It is not a concept. It is not a metaphor. It is real. A real 19-year-old boy who loved his friends, believed in his country, and acted with a courage few of us can comprehend.

One Story, Among Thousands

Matan’s story is almost too painful to carry, but it is not alone. Every Israeli family knows a name, a face, a grave. Tragically, every year, more names are added to the list—sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, husbands, wives, friends.

And yet, we remember each one.

We must.

Because they are the reason Israel still stands.

Hope, Carried by the Living

At Matan’s funeral, one of his close friends, Imri, stood by the grave and said what everyone in his unit felt:“You saved us. You watched over us with your body. You are a true hero. A true soul. I will never forget you. I will tell your story everywhere I go.”

And that is our duty now.

To tell the story. To speak his name. To remember that there are still young men in this world who run toward danger for the sake of others.

This Memorial Day, as Israel bows its head, as mothers light memorial candles, as friends place stones on graves, remember Matan Abergil.

He was only 19.

He had a whole life ahead of him.

But he gave it up in one split second of unimaginable bravery.

May the memory of Sergeant Matan Abergil be a blessing.