“Eliraz, a young platoon commander, quickly realized that the situation had shifted from defense to survival.”

By Hezy Laing

Lt. Nimrod Eliraz, the lone survivor of the battle at Nahal Oz, has become one of the most widely discussed figures of the October 7 attacks, not because he sought recognition, but because his survival defied every expectation.

When the assault began in the early morning hours, the Nahal Oz outpost was hit with overwhelming force and speed.

Communications were disrupted almost immediately, and the small group of defenders found themselves isolated as dozens of armed militants breached the perimeter.

The base, designed primarily for surveillance and routine security duties, was never intended to withstand a large‑scale coordinated assault, yet the soldiers inside fought to hold their positions as long as they could.

Eliraz, a young platoon commander, quickly realized that the situation had shifted from defense to survival.

Moving between positions under constant pressure, he coordinated what resistance he could, directing his soldiers, returning fire, and trying to maintain some semblance of control in a rapidly collapsing environment.

As the hours passed, the defenders were pushed into smaller and smaller pockets of the base.

Eliraz continued to fight, conserving ammunition, repositioning himself, and refusing to abandon the soldiers still alive around him.

Accounts from the aftermath describe him as remaining calm even as the situation deteriorated, focusing on delaying the attackers long enough for reinforcements to reach the area.

By the time his ammunition was nearly gone, Eliraz had already been wounded and cut off from the remaining defenders.

With no clear escape route and no ability to continue fighting, he hid among debris and damaged structures, relying on silence, patience, and the hope that the attackers would overlook him.

For hours he remained concealed as terrorists moved through the base, searching rooms and structures.

His survival depended on stillness and timing rather than force, and he later described those hours as the longest of his life.

When Israeli forces finally reached Nahal Oz, Eliraz emerged as the sole surviving defender.

His endurance, leadership, and refusal to abandon his post until his last bullet was spent have since become emblematic of the resilience shown across multiple fronts that day.