Lt. Col. Roy Levy
Lt. Col. Roy LevyCourtesy of the family

Lt. Col. Roy Levy, who was seriously injured while commanding the Golani reconnaissance battalion during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014, will be appointed next summer commander of the Egoz Reconnaissance Unit, Yedioth Ahronoth reports Sunday. 

The unit will become on Sunday part of the IDF's new commando brigade, which consolidates four of the IDF's most elite Special Forces unit: Duvdevan, Maglan, Rimon, and, of course, Egoz. 

Levy will replace Lt. Col. Y. as commander of the Egoz Reconnaissance Unit. Y. was critically injured during the Protective Edge battle in Saja'iyya, but was able to return to duty and command his unit. 

Lt. Col. Y served in the elite Sayeret Matkal unit as both soldier and officer eventually becoming deputy commander of the unit. Two months before Operation Protective Edge, he was given command of Egoz and led its soldiers in Gaza. 

On the second day of fighting, during a raid in southern Saja'iyya, several mortar shells exploded, critically wounding Y. and killing Staff Sergeants Tal Yifrah and Yuval Dagan. A total of 12 other soldiers and officers involved in the battle were also injured. 

Lt. Col. Y. was evacuated under fire to a hospital where doctors fought for his life. Despite a physical handicap in his left hand, Y. insisted on returning and commanding the unit. 

It was recently decided his replacement should be Lt. Col. Levy, who was also seriously injured leading his fighters in the Saja'iyya battle. 

Levy was seriously injured while his deputy, Major Tzafrir Bar-Or and the reconnaissance battalion's operation officer, Captain Tzvika Kaplan were killed after anti-tank missiles were fired at a house on the outskirts of Saja'iyya the unit was in. 

After recovering, Levy was unable to return to the reconnaissance battalion, instead taking command of one of the units at the IDF's school for officers. Two weeks ago, he was informed he would become commander of the Egoz Reconnaissance Unit. 

When that occurs, Egoz will no longer be under the auspices of the Golani Brigade, rather the new commando brigade. Levy's direct superior, however, will be familiar to him as former Egoz and Unit 51 commander, Colonel David Zinni.