By JNS Staff
Widow of officer who fought in Ofakim on Oct. 7 lights memorial torch.
The Israel Police commemorated its 1,696 fallen officers, Border Police personnel and volunteers at an annual memorial ceremony in Beit Shemesh on Monday, according to a police statement.
The ceremony, held at the Israel Police National College, was attended by Police Commissioner Danny Levy, senior commanders and bereaved families. The figure includes personnel who died during and as a result of their service since Israel’s founding in 1948.
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Eti Elus, whose husband, Itamar Elus, fought in Ofakim during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and died in January 2026, lit the memorial torch. Relatives of officers killed in the Oct. 7 battles also spoke at the ceremony.
Addressing bereaved families, Levy said: “You are part of the Israel Police family. Your place among us is permanent, and our commitment to you continues.”
Children of fallen police personnel joined singer Roni Dalumi in performing “Shir Tikva” (“A Song of Hope”) at the ceremony’s conclusion.
