Naman Shrestha
A creation of Oded Davidoff and Daniel Finkelman, HBO Max’s ‘One Day in October,’ recounts the horrific terrorist attack that took over various parts of Israel on October 7, 2023. The seven-part anthology drama series delves deep into different personal stories of victims and survivors. Told through the perspective of Sabine Taasa, the fourth episode focuses on the deaths of her estranged husband, Gil Taasa, and her oldest son, Or Taasa, and the aftermath.
Gil Taasa Died While Protecting His Sons From a Grenade
During their marriage, Sabine and Gil Taasa welcomed multiple sons into the world, including Or, Shay, Koren, and Zohar. However, several years later, the couple decided to part ways and live separately in 2022, but in close proximity, seemingly for the sake of their children. The oldest son, Or, was the light of Sabine’s life and her ray of sunshine. On the fateful morning of October 7, 2023, 17-year-old Or had gone fishing with some of his friends to Zikim Beach. While 15-year-old Zohar was with Sabine, the other two kids, Shay and Koren, were with their father, Gil, next door to their mother’s house in Netiv Ha’asara.
The 46-year-old senior firefighter in the Ashkelon fire station, Gil, was shocked when the Hamas-led terrorist attacks began in Israel. Upon hearing constant explosions and gunfire, Gil instructed his sons to be quiet as the terrorists could be heard near the house. In an attempt to save his sons, Gil picked up his personal gun and fired multiple rounds at the terrorists. In response, the attackers threw a grenade where the father and sons were hiding. Right before it exploded, Gil heroically jumped on top of the grenade and shielded his sons from the explosion while sacrificing his own life.
According to the security footage, several terrorists entered the room to check if Gil was dead, and then proceeded to drink from a bottle of cold drink. The surviving brothers then went inside their mother’s house, where they hid with their brother and mother for several hours. That same evening, Zohar took to Facebook to express his love for his father, stating, “by some miracle, I am still alive and I have the chance to tell you that I love you…you tried to save the lives of my brothers but it cost you your life. I love you so much and you will always be in my memories, I wish I could have told you this before, my life is nothing without you, and thank you for all the years, I’m lucky that I got to be a part of your life. You’re my hero, Dad.”
Or Taasa Was Killed While on a Fishing Trip With His Friends
On the other hand, when the terrorist attack began on October 7, 2023, Or Taasa was on the Zikim Beach, where he was fishing with his friends. Concerned about his well-being and whereabouts, his mother and brothers were hoping that he was not one of the victims. However, a couple of days later, they learned that he had been killed by Hamas terrorists on the beach while he was returning home. As per Sabine, he was shot about six times.
Zohar also expressed his grief over the loss of his older brother, stating, “God have mercy on me, what did I do to deserve all this? Or, you had so many plans, you were so young and talented and all your life was ahead of you. I’m shattered to pieces, now I have to be the leader of the house. Watch over us from above, thank you for every little moment that I spent with you, I love you Or.” He was buried right next to his father on October 18, 2023. About a month after the funeral, Or’s cousin and Gil’s niece, Sapir Taasa, also wrote, “I’m still in a dream, then I wake up and enter a new unthinkable reality… the only comfort I have is that you died in the name of God, for the fact that you were Jews… if you only knew how much I miss you maybe you wouldn’t have left me.”
Read More: Lior Weizman: How Did He Die? What Happened to Him?
