Lt. Col. Sahar Machlof, 36: ‘As in life, also in death, was a hero’
Killed while defending his IDF base from a Hamas invasion on October 7
Lt. Col. Sahar Zion Machlof, 36, commander of the 481st Signal Battalions, was killed defending his IDF base on October 7.
Machlof, a resident of Modiin, is survived by his parents, Ofra and Moshe, sister Meital, wife Shirly, and their three children, Yotam, Omer and Lavi — who is just a year old. He was buried in the Modiin military cemetery on October 9.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Nati Cohen told the Anashim Ve’Machshavim (People and Computers) website that Machlof “as in life, also in death, was a hero. He charged at the terrorists and defended soldiers on the base.”
Machlof, he said, “was an exceptional officer, professional and gentleman. We lost one of the best officers that we had in the corps” and described him as “a promising officer” who was destined to rise through the ranks.
“He was a beloved and admired commander, professional and humble,” Cohen said.
Yossi Alfiya, a friend who served with him in the army, described Machlof as being a dedicated soldier.
“He was an asset to the army,” Alfiya said.
Dudu Kadosh, who served under Machlof, told the Mynet outlet that he was in contact with the officer a day before the attack.
“It’s hard for me to digest that this happened, he was one of the sharpest people I knew, who saw several steps ahead before everyone else,” Kadosh said.
Ella Medina, whose husband worked with Machlof and spent many weekends together on base, described him as “a wonderful and loving father and man. A moral, professional officer, beloved and appreciated by his soldiers and the whole headquarters. I don’t have words to describe such a loss.”
