Elkana Levi, a Golani Brigade officer severely injured in an explosion in Khan Younis that killed Staff Sergeant Amit Cohen on Monday, is the third son of Rabbi Moshe Levi and Orit Levi from Herzliya wounded in the Gaza war.
Their eldest son, Rachamim Yishai, was seriously injured on October 7, 2023, and underwent extensive rehabilitation. Their second son, Yedidya, was wounded in Gaza in 2024.
Elkana, from the brigade’s 13th Battalion’s support platoon, underwent surgery, losing one leg above the knee and the other below, and had shrapnel removed from his left eye, which is expected to heal. He was moved to intensive care, facing a long recovery.
Rabbi Moshe Levi, head of a Herzliya yeshiva, and his wife Orit released a video to uplift Elkana’s platoon, calling them the best soldiers and heroes performing their duties exceptionally despite immense challenges. “As Elkana’s parents, we embrace you and bless you ‘until victory,’” Moshe said, invoking the unit’s ethos.
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Orit told the platoon that, since Elkana took command, he asked her to pray not only for him but for all of the 8th Platoon. “You’re doing the most important thing in the world, and Elkana loves you,” she said, urging them to continue fighting.
The war’s heavy toll, with 895 soldiers killed so far, often overshadows the wounded. Since October 7, 2023, 6,108 IDF soldiers have been injured in the war, with 912 in critical condition, 1,518 moderately injured and 3,678 lightly injured.
From the Gaza ground operation’s start on October 27, 2023, 2,803 soldiers were wounded: 540 critically, 847 moderately and 1,416 lightly. Currently, 17 soldiers are hospitalized in serious condition, 148 in moderate condition and 6 with minor injuries, highlighting the fighting’s profound human cost.