Yigal Zinger is 43 years old. He is married and a father of four. They live in Beer Sheva.

He was a fighter in the Police as part of the Negev Military District. He was on duty as a Police officer on the night of the NOVA Festival in Re’im. “At 6:30 am missiles were flying from Gaza and we closed the festival. The Police tried to get closer to the festival, but it was blocked. People were approaching the Police officers with gunshot wounds, and told that terrorists ambushed them”. After checking his phone, Yigal realized there were terrorists coming towards them, so he instructed the officers and those nearby to follow him to Netivot. There, in Netivot, at the Police station he searched for protective gear for 16 people but only found one double clip for one person.

We drove back to Re’im. There was a terrorist ambush – they fired an anti-tank missile at Yigal’s vehicle but luckily missed them by a few centimeters. Their vehicle was not an armored vehicle so Yigal and the other police officers got out of the vehicle and started shooting back at the terrorists. The Yoav Unit of the Police force came with an armored vehicle and they all proceeded together to the Re’im parking lot. Before they reached the parking lot, at the Re’im junction, they faced massive fire from the terrorists. The steering system of the armored vehicle was impacted so all of the Police officers began fighting against hundreds of terrorists, who were attacking the officers from all directions.

Yigal was wounded in both legs. A bullet went through both of his legs. He was eventually evacuated to Soroka Hospital. His bracelet indicated that he was triaged at 11:30 and that he was the 209^th wounded person to arrive that day.

“I knew of Beit Halochem from others who had been there. I was impressed by the beautiful, professional place”.  Yigal has been attending Beit Halochem three times per week. Slowly he is improving.

Rotem Inbar – served as a combatant in the Special Recon Commando of the Nahal Infantry Brigade, served on the “Sufa” Outpost.
He was wounded on October 7 when the terrorists infiltrated their base.
“South of the Gaza Strip, in front of Rafah, the unit’s role was to protect the surrounding settlements
Half of the fighters went home that weekend.
He goes to the border at five in the morning and the Rapid Response Squad  is ready on standby. Normal routine procedure.
Suddenly there was a terrifying barrage of rockets from all directions. Before the siren we heard booms and realized that something was not normal, we got into our uniforms, took our weapons and ran to a protected area.
Many rockets fell near them.
The Company Commander was distraught, updated that there was an intrusion, we were unaware of the numbers,  but we went on heightened alert.
The special lookout post reported that she had no cameras.
Non-stop shooting. We jumped to the front guardhouse, heard a shot, tried to understand
One of the fighters recognized someone suspicious.
See an RPG, the outpost is surrounded but we had no idea that was the case.
Amir the senior officer went up for observation.
The rear guard suffered the hardest blow.
A battle on three fronts. Attacked from all directions.
We had shots, whistles inside the outpost.
It took us a few seconds to come to, we realized that they had inserted their rifle barrels in the holes and we realized that we had no protected place.
Our outpost was under a three-pronged attack.
The terrorists manage to break through the gate. The fighters realize that only the dining room remains the most protected.
The wounded lie in the back, Rotem sees the terrorists right in front of his eyes. He hears the grenade hit the floor
Two meters from me, I realized it could kill me
There was a strong barrage of shots, I aimed my rifle towards to the entrance
I had a feeling that if I left the door no one would get out alive.
The grenades kept coming at us.
One of the grenades exploded next to me, the whole leg was in shreds, they put a tourniquet on me.
Excruciating pain.
We are being shouted at in Hebrew, raise your hands..
The grenades did not stop.
The terrorists managed to blow up the back door of the dining room.
Only at half past one did a combat helicopter arrive. Fires a missile from the air while the soldiers are below.
We felt hope, that there was a chance we would win.
Then the fighters of Shayetet 13 (Naval Commando) at 14:30 broke into the outpost and the helicopter arrived to evacuate the wounded.
It took them several hours to take control of the outpost.
In the end, unfortunately, the civilian residents were hurt, but we did our best.”

The First in his Platoon to Face the Enemy

The Unyielding Courage of Sergeant Shalom Shitrit

Sergeant Shalom Shitrit, a valiant fighter in the Golani Brigade, exemplifies the triumph of the human will as he recounts the harrowing events that forever altered the course of his life. His willingness to embark on the long, complicated journey to recovery – which includes relearning to manage and live daily life without a leg – is a testament to the strength that lies within his heart and the hearts of those who have faced the “Swords of Iron” War.

Right after the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas terrorists on October 7th, 2023, Sergeant Shalom Shitrit was called to duty. He was to enter the Gaza Strip and confront and fight the very essence and the source of terrorism on the battlefield.

As he begins to recount his experience, Shalom’s initial words echo the disbelief that he survived the ordeal. “I still don’t understand how I am alive,” he says, and you immediately get the feeling that what he is about to share is a story of unimaginable bravery and the profound challenges that lay ahead.

Shalom was the first in his platoon to face the enemy, mere meters away from a terrorist who shot him, wounding him critically. In the chaos and violence of that moment, for Shalom there was only excruciating pain and the quick realization of the severity of his injuries. He was evacuated back to Israel and Israeli medical teams fought for his life for an entire week. The gravity of the situation was such that doctors decided to advise Shalom’s family to come and bid him farewell. Hope was dim. But Shalom proved tenacious. He wanted to live. He defied the odds and clung to life, emerging from the brink of death.

“When I opened my eyes for the first time since Gaza, I thought I was still in the war,” Shalom shares, revealing the disorientation that accompanied his return to consciousness. The desire to rise and rejoin his fellow soldiers in the ongoing battle was met with the harsh reality that his body would not allow him to do so. In a poignant moment, he lifted the blanket to find the absence of his right leg, a painful revelation that struck deep into his being.

As Shalom grappled with the shock of his newfound reality, he says “It felt like I had lost my leg to help save the other soldiers who were still fighting.” Amid personal tragedy, his thoughts and feelings were still connected to Israel’s greater cause and his friends in the military.
From the severe wounds that almost claimed his life to the unimaginable challenges of rehabilitation, Shalom’s story shows the enduring power of the human spirit. As he forges ahead on his path to recovery, we will be there with him at every step of the way and ensure that he continues to pursue his dreams, whatever they may be.