Tomer Eliaz Arava and Dikla Arava, from Nahal Oz were likely killed by IDF fire during the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, the military said on Friday following an investigation into the events.
The results of the investigation were presented to the family on Thursday.
The military concluded that after terrorists broke into Arava-Elyakim home and fired onto the safe room where the family was taking shelter, Tomer, who managed to get out of the house.
He was then shot at by security forces on the kibbutz, who likely mistook him for a suspicious figure after his initial escape, according to the investigation. Dikla was likely killed by IDF gunfire targeting the car in which terrorists had abducted her as they were heading toward the Gaza Strip.
The terrorists subsequently left her body in the car, the IDF noted in its investigation. Noam was also left in the car.
It then said that the car Dikla was in during her kidnapping also held her partner, Noam Elyakim, and his two daughters, Ella and Dafna. Both daughters were taken by terrorists in Gaza before being released during the November 2023 ceasefire.
“On October 7th, the IDF failed in its mission. Nevertheless, Israeli security forces, reservists, rapid response teams, and civilians fought bravely throughout the Gaza Strip border area,” the IDF stated, adding its condolences to the Arava-Eliaz-Elyakim family as well as the Nahal Oz community.
Dikla’s phone was stolen by the terrorists and used it to broadcast a live video on Facebook. The footage showed her son Tomer calling for residents of the kibbutz to come outside, and forced to do so under Hamas’s orders before his escape. The IDF misidentified Tomer as a terrorists and mistakenly shot him.
“Tomer Eliaz-Arava acted heroically until the moment he was shot,” the IDF said.
In February of last year, Dafna Elyakim shared her experiences of being kidnapped in an interview with N12. At the time, Dafna believed the shots that hit the car in which she was abducted were fired by terrorists.
“After they took us to our car and started driving. And then, actually, some different terrorists shot at our car because they thought it was Israelis trying to flee,” Dafna recounted. “Some of the shots hit Dikla, and she died there on the spot.”
The kibbutz’s response
“The Nahal Oz community shares in the grief of the families,” the kibbutz said in an official statement. “The investigation conducted by IDF Col. Yaron Sitbon is unbearably difficult and heartbreaking.
“We will respect their family’s request to maintain their privacy in these difficult moments.”
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