A dedicated group of volunteers armed with metal detectors has been meticulously combing the sands of Delilah Beach in Ashkelon. Their mission? To recover the cherished wedding ring once worn by the fallen soldier Itay Moreno. The ring was lost when it fell off his wife's neckless when she was at the beach and finally found on Sunday.
"This is the ring Itay wore after our wedding, and since he was killed, I’ve kept it close to my heart," Gal said. "I can't quite fathom how it happened. One moment it was there, captured in a picture I took, and the next, it was gone. I’m holding onto hope and praying it will be found. The outpouring of support from our incredible community has been overwhelming. Since Friday, more and more volunteers with metal detectors have joined the search along the beach."
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAI), recognizing the emotional weight of the search, has extended permissions to allow the hunt in areas within their oversight. Scores of volunteers were expected to continue their determined sweep from Delilah Beach to the nearby "Surfers" beach in Ashkelon.
The Itay was the nephew of Lieutenant Colonel Emanuel Moreno, a distinguished officer in the Elite Sayeret Matkal unit who fell during the Second Lebanon War and whose image remains classified. Itay is survived by his parents, Moshe and Tamar, his siblings Adi, Eitan, and Noa, and his wife Gal. He was raised in Moshav Aderet.
In 2019, Itay enlisted to the elite Maglan unit. He completed the reconnaissance commanders' course and became the team and company navigator. On October 7, he was deployed with his unit to the Zikim area, engaging in combat. On October 11, he fell in an exchange of fire near Zikim Beach.