Yair Yaakov
59 years old
Kibbutz Nir Oz / Gaza
Yair “Yaya” Yaakov, 59, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, worked in agriculture and irrigation before becoming a mechanic at nearby Kibbutz Alumim. He loved the land, fields, nature and life’s simple pleasures, including watching sunsets with his partner Merav. His son remembered a man with a huge heart who taught his children to appreciate what they had, smile and stay cheerful even through hardship.
Murdered in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7; body taken to Gaza and returned June 2025