Roi Levy was born in the United States and raised in Jerusalem. During his service defending Israel, he quickly climbed the ranks to Colonel as he led several elite units during special operations.
Severely wounded in the 2014 Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, Roi initially refused to leave the battlefield and have his injuries treated. He would not leave his brothers, under his command, without their leader.
Eventually, Roi took a temporary break from combat and earned a master’s degree in law at Bar-Ilan University. In 2018, Roi was specially chosen by Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot to light the torch on Israel’s 70th Independence Day; his unit also received the Chief of Staff’s Merit for Excellence.
When Hamas terrorists infiltrated the Gaza border and began a mass murder spree of Israeli civilians in nearby towns and settlements, Roi led a group of fighters to take back the occupied Israeli towns. The epitome of murderous violence occurred that day near Kibbutz Re’im when several hundred young Israelis were ambushed, kidnapped, and executed attending the Nova nature music festival. Roi was killed in what is now known as the ‘Battle of Re’im.
Roi is survived by his wife Yael and their five children