Commander Roy Levy's Heroism and Sacrifice on October 7th Remembered

Colonel Roy Levy, commander of the Multidimensional Unit, was killed in action on October 7th during the fighting in Kibbutz Re'im. His widow, Yael Levy, shared memories of him as a hero, a devoted father, and a commander who also had a playful side.

During the battle in Re'im, Levy and his soldiers rescued approximately 20 civilians from two bomb shelters. Levy was wounded in the hand by shrapnel from a grenade. While attempting to communicate via radio near a Clementine tree, he was shot in the chest by a Hamas terrorist and fell. His brother later placed a flag on the tree in his memory, and a cutting from the tree was preserved as a symbol of his spirit.

Levy's bravery was evident years earlier. During Operation Protective Edge in 2014, while commanding the Golani Brigade's reconnaissance unit in Shuja'iyya, he was critically injured when a ceiling collapsed on him after a missile strike. After a year of intensive rehabilitation, he fought to return to active combat duty. His determination led to his selection as a torchbearer on Israel's Independence Day, an honor he found embarrassing due to his modesty, only accepting after the Chief of Staff ordered him to.

Yael Levy recalled meeting Roy at Bahad 1, where she worked as an organizational consultant when he took command of the Hadas Battalion. She described him as a commander who was also a "joker," riding an electric scooter with their children, while expressing deep sorrow that the children would not have him as a father for longer.

Levy is buried on Mount Herzl. In his memory, "Givat Roy" (Roy's Hill) has been established at a historic site where Maccabees fought and the Burma Road passed. Hundreds visit weekly, and his Multidimensional Unit has held five graduation ceremonies there, symbolizing his love for his homeland and the heroism he embodied.