Behind each number in the death toll of October 7 lies a world torn apart - a face, a name, a family. Each victim was a universe of their own, and their loss left widows, orphans, and families to walk a painful and uncertain path. In many ways, the story of the deaths of the eight members of the Israel Police’s National Enforcement Unit Operation Department (MATPA) Unit epitomizes the national tragedy of that day.
It is a story of tragedy and loss, but it is also an account of how those who have experienced heartbreak can begin to rebuild their lives and those of their loved ones, with the assistance of the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization.
In the early morning hours of October 7, 2023, hundreds of Hamas terrorists attacked Kibbutz Be’eri, located near the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, massacring over 130 people and kidnapping 32 from the kibbutz. IDF and police forces were dispatched to Be’eri to join the battle.
Among them was a group of eight police commandos from the Israel Police’s National Enforcement Unit Operation Department (MATPA) Unit. MATPA is the special forces unit of the Israeli Police, operating throughout Israel as a first-response unit.
The officers arrived at Kibbutz Be’eri at 14:27 in two armored Caracal jeeps. Dozens of Hamas terrorists ambushed the two vehicles. The driver of the first jeep, Staff Sergeant Uriel Ouzan, identified a terrorist and ran him down. The second jeep also ran down a terrorist, but then both jeeps came under fire from lethal RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) fire.
Seven of the eight officers fell, including Chief Inspector Dan Ganot, Superintendent Vadim Blich, Sergeant 1st Class Uriel Shalom Elon, Staff Sergeant Mulugeta Gdif, First Sergeant Boris Danilov, Master Sergeant Eliran Abergel, and Staff Sergeant Dor Mengadi. The eighth officer, Staff Sergeant Uriel Ouzan, survived. The unit’s commander, Chief Supt. Martin Kuzmickas, was killed by a Hamas sniper at the battle of the Sderot Police Station.
Five of the eight MATPA commandos who were killed that day left behind wives and children. The IDFWO has assisted their widows and orphans in the days and months since October 7 to help rebuild their lives.
Tali Wasse made aliyah from Ethiopia with her family in 2005. Mulugeta Gdif was born in Ethiopia and made aliyah with his parents and siblings in 1994 when he was twelve. Tali grew up in Holon and was introduced to Mulugeta by mutual friends. The couple married in June 2022 and lived with her parents in Holon before purchasing their own apartment in the city, where they planned to move in May 2024.
On October 7, 2023, Tali, Mulugeta, and their five-month-old daughter, Elia, were staying at the home of Mulugeta’s parents in Kiryat Gat. “Mulugeta loved his family and wanted to spend time with them,” recalls Tali.
That morning, when the sirens sounded, Mulugeta (Mulu) received the call to join his unit and went to Petah Tikva, where they were assembling. The officers traveled south in their two armored jeeps and encountered terrorists on the way before they arrived in Be’eri, where they were killed. Tali did not know the fate of her husband for some time.
“On Sunday, October 8, they told us that they had lost contact with the officers and were searching for them,” says Tali. “During that entire week, we were in limbo. We searched for him in hospitals and posted on social media asking if anyone had seen him. It was a very difficult week, and we didn’t sleep at all.”
A week later, the authorities, using DNA evidence collected at the scene, concluded that Mulugeta was killed in the RPG attack.
Tali’s first encounter with the IDFWO was at a vacation in Kfar Hanokdim for widows and orphans that she attended with her daughter. “It was hard at first, and it was difficult to go out,” she says. Tali overcame her initial fears and began to feel more at home at IDFWO events. “The staff at IDFWO are angels dressed as human beings,” she says. “They help us with everything and take care of us during all of the holidays.”
Elia is doing reasonably well, says Tali, but she has begun to ask uncomfortable questions. “She used to say that Abba is in heaven, but now she asks, ‘Where is Abba? Abba has gotten lost.’”
Before the tragedy, Tali had limited contact with the wives of the other officers in her husband’s unit. Mulu was relatively new to the unit, having joined in March of 2023. Since that time, she has been in regular contact with them. “We have a WhatsApp group where we share our pain and we meet frequently,” she says.
Talli says wistfully, “Mulu was truly an amazing person. I am still stuck on October 7 as if it happened yesterday, even though we are approaching the second anniversary.
Sometimes when I hear another widow talking about her husband, I say, ‘That’s just like Mulu.’ They were simply angels – good people.”
After he was discharged from his IDF service, Mulu wanted to join the police. “For the entire six months he was in the police, he blossomed. Once he joined, he was a happy person. He would come home with a smile and a tremendous sense of fulfillment. I am comforted by the fact that he followed the path he wanted.”
Eden Abergel, 29, was born and raised in Tiberias. She met her husband, Eliran, a native of Netanya, during their IDF service on Israel’s northern border. “He was tall, handsome, impressive, charismatic, very funny, and he stood out,” she says.
On October 7, 2023, Eden and Eliran were spending Shabbat and Simchat Torah with her family in Tiberias. When Eden heard the sirens that morning, she woke up Eliran, knowing that he would be called to his unit. “Eliran was always among the first to arrive,” she recalls. “He quickly got ready and didn’t even wait to finish his coffee.”
Eliran was the driver of the second Caracal armored jeep. Several IDF units were waiting to enter Be’eri, says Eden, but the MATPA unit was ordered in first. Both jeeps were struck by RPGs, but Eliran succeeded in exiting the vehicle.
Eliran bypassed the first Caracal jeep and charged directly toward the house from which the RPG had been fired. The building was being used as a Hamas command post, where dozens of terrorists were gathered and directing the battle. In the yard of that house, just beneath the window of the protected room, Eliran fought a fierce gun battle until he succumbed.
Eden was in touch with Eliran via WhatsApp when he was headed towards Be’eri. “I wrote to him that I was worried and had a bad feeling. He answered that he was in an armored car, not to worry, and that I should remain in the north. He sent a red heart emoji, and I sent one back to him. I called him after that, and there was no answer. I understood that something had happened.”
Eliran’s body was eventually discovered by Col. (res.) Golan Vach, a senior Home Front Command officer. He found Eliran lying on the ground, surrounded by numerous dead terrorists. Vach collected his weapon and saw that the magazine was nearly empty, with just a bullet or two remaining. From the scene alone, he said, it was clear how bravely Eliran had fought, and how much he had accomplished in those final moments.
At the conclusion of the seven-day shiva mourning period, Eden learned that she was pregnant. “It was a miracle,” she says. “I had lost my husband – my most precious possession, with whom I wanted to make a family, and I thought that my dreams were shattered. I was afraid to be happy, and I only felt secure after our son, Ari Yehuda, was born.”
Eden says that the IDFWO helped her from the moment she learned of her pregnancy. “They really helped me from the very first moment. There’s a program called Letzidech (“By Your Side”), which is for pregnant widows. As part of the program, they help you in every area – emotionally, professionally, financially – in all aspects. What I personally relied on at the beginning was the professional guidance and career counseling.
“After losing my husband, it was extremely difficult to go back to work. On top of that, I was pregnant. I’m a social worker by profession, with a master’s degree in social work, but returning to my job was very hard. They were truly there for me—helping me, connecting me to emotional and psychological support. Later on, they also provided group therapy with other pregnant women who were in the same situation. Learning how others were dealing with the same challenges helped me frame everything and helped me realize I wasn’t alone.
“The connections with other women were built largely thanks to the organization. They arranged many meetups that gave us the opportunity to really get to know each other deeply. Today, I consider many of them my friends and partners on this journey.
“They say that time heals. I think time does the opposite—it deepens the hole in your heart. I kept hoping that Eliran would return. But the more time passes, the more I understand he isn’t coming back.”
From the start, Sarah Danilov knew that Boris Danilov was destined to become her husband. “He was an exceptional person who gave everyone a sense of security through his modesty, his values, the way he conducted himself, and by the accomplishments he achieved at such a young age. People knew that when Boris was around, everything would be handled properly.” Sarah and Boris married in 2018.
“I never imagined I would be widowed at such a young age with two children,” she says. “Without my faith in God and without my children, I don’t know where I’d be today.”
Boris, who held undergraduate degrees in criminology and history, had recently completed his studies in law. He served in the police for thirteen years, and says Sarah, was planning on becoming an investigator with MATPA.
“On October 5, we did a family photoshoot with the children. I had a strong feeling something was coming, so I pushed to do it quickly. We took photos of Ariel for his third birthday and of Itamar for his first. It was a wonderful day. The next day, October 6, we celebrated Boris’s birthday with a festive Friday night dinner. He was a very family-oriented man. The plan was to spend Saturday night with friends.”
Boris was in the second jeep that arrived in Be’eri, and his vehicle was hit by the RPG and went up in flames. “He sent me his last message at 11 AM that his commander, Martin, had been killed in Sderot,” shares Sarah. “A half hour later, he wrote, ‘I don’t have time to talk. Please recite Tehillim (Psalms) on behalf of the Jewish people.’ That was the final message. I knew then, because Boris always answered me, even in long operations, always saying he’d be back late. This time, he didn’t.” Sarah endured eight days of agonizing uncertainty until his body was identified.
“Boris was the most precious person, my husband, my everything. Now my children grow up without him. Every day is a struggle and a new challenge. The real test is being alone with the children at home, facing everything without him. My strength comes only from them and from my faith.
“I want to thank the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization with all my heart. They do extraordinary things for us. The organization brings together people who are in the same boat, who understand each other. It’s the only place you can truly open up. They are angels who dedicate themselves to creating a support network for me, my children, and all the families who lost their loved ones in this disaster. When I meet other women who have had similar tragic experiences, I feel like family with them. Even in the small hours of the night, they’re always by our side, even if it’s a message I’m texting, if it’s for my well-being. They are always there for me. Always.”
Svetlana Kuzmickas, whose husband Martin commanded the MATPA unit, echoes Tali, Eden, and Sarah. “When I am with other widows, there is someone you can talk to, because we share a common ground. You are not alone.”
This article was written in collaboration with IDF Widows & Orphans Organization (IDFWO).