Widow of Fallen IDF Major Delivers Emotional Address in New York

At the Israel Hayom conference in New York, Adi Buzaglo, widow of Maj. Shahar Netanel Buzaglo, delivered a moving speech about her husband's death in Gaza and the birth of their son, Iri. The annual event, held at the InterContinental Hotel in Manhattan, gathered senior officials, business leaders, and Jewish community figures under the auspices of Israel Hayom publisher Dr. Miriam Adelson.

"There are two moments in my life that I would give anything to connect: the last moment Shahar was alive, and the moment Iri was born," Adi Buzaglo told the audience. Major Shahar Buzaglo was killed in combat in Gaza City in September at the age of 27, while Adi was pregnant with their first child. The couple met at the Ein Prat pre-military academy at age 19 and married in August 2023.

Three days after returning from their honeymoon, the October 7 war broke out. Shahar enlisted immediately, serving as a tank commander defending the Gaza border communities for nearly two years. On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, September 22, 2025, he fell while leading his troops in Gaza City. Before his death, the couple learned they were expecting a boy and had already chosen the name Iri.

Describing her pregnancy amid profound grief, Adi recalled traveling to the desert after the shiva and looking at the moon during Sukkot, feeling as though time had stopped. During her final months of pregnancy, she was supported by midwives from the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization's "By Your Side" program. She gave birth to Iri in Haifa amid rocket fire and air raid sirens, accompanied by her family.

Shlomi Nachumson, CEO of the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization, also addressed the conference, emphasizing the long-term responsibility toward bereaved families. "Wars are measured in days, months, and sometimes years, but their human consequences span generations," Nachumson stated, stressing that the organization remains committed to supporting Adi and Iri as the boy grows up.