Daniel Edri, an Israeli soldier, took his own life on Saturday in the Biriya forest near Safed, the town where he grew up.
He had been struggling with severe mental health issues as he tried to cope with the pain, images, and smells that haunted him from his experiences in Lebanon and Gaza.
In addition to the traumatic images, Daniel, who turned 24 last month, was also devastated by the murder of two childhood friends at the Nova music festival—Eliasaf Ben Porat and Gabriel Yishai Barel. He had tried to reach Re’im to help them on October 7, but he was unable to.
Edri’s family says that their deaths stayed with him and caused him ongoing pain.
He was the third of four siblings and lost his father at a young age. His mother, Sigal, is urging the state to honor her son with a military funeral. So far, her request has not been approved.
