The First Responders | Heroes of October 7th and Beyond

March 20, 2026 | S1 E2 | 49:36

Erick Stakelbeck hosts a look at the heroic first responders to the attacks of October 7th.

#Israel #War #Terrorism #Tragedy #Inspirational #Encouragement #Victory #PersonalStory #Military #Faith #ErickStakelbeck #MatiShoshani

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Heroes of October 7th and Beyond | The First Responders | Heroes of October 7th and Beyond | March 20, 2026

She shouted: "listen to me!
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"hundreds of terrorists in.
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"they overran the entire community
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"and they are killing people right now.
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"where are you?"
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In those first hours of october 7th,
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Israel was hit like never before.
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A new kind of war fought in israel's streets,
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Homes, and backyards.
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They don't back off at all. they charge.
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You cannot describe the horrid things
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They did on that day.
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Hamas terrorists pouring across the border,
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Slaughtering, kidnapping, burning.
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You wanna shoot the bad guys,
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Here i cannot shoot.
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There are civilian people inside.
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10 to 12 jump inside that small car.
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One of them telling me in english:
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"please take me with you, i'm still young,
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"i don't want to die here."
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I didn't have any room
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Left in the car.
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We went in, we found families,
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We ran with them outside,
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Then just turn around and go back in.
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How many people do you think you rescued?
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Over 200.
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For generations,
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Israelis have slept soundly at night
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Knowing one thing.
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The idf, the israel defense forces,
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Would stand guard.
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Israel's soldiers, its sons and daughters in uniform,
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Have always been the shield
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That keeps the wolf from the door.
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They fought with strength, courage, and heart,
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Often outnumbered, but never outwilled.
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But on october 7th, 2023,
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That shield was pierced in a way no one saw coming.
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Since the miraculous return of the jewish people
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To their ancient homeland
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And the rebirth of the modern state of israel,
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This nation has lived under constant pressure.
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And here's something the world too often forgets.
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The moment israel declared independence in 1948,
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It extended a hand of peace.
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The un partition plan offered to divide the land,
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Giving the jewish people and the palestinians
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Each a share.
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Israel said yes, the arab leadership said no,
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And chose war instead.
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Just one day after the u.n. voted
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To recognize israel as a nation,
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The reborn jewish state was attacked from all sides.
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Egypt from the south, jordan from the east,
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Syria from the north,
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In a bid to wipe israel off the map
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Before it had even drawn its new borders.
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In 1967, surrounded once again,
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Israel fought the six-day war,
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Taking on the armies of egypt, jordan, and syria,
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And winning a resounding victory
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That still stuns military historians.
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Then in 1973, on yom kippur,
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The holiest day on the jewish calendar,
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Israel was hit with another surprise assault,
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This time on two fronts, from syria and egypt.
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Israel again prevailed,
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But the cost was extremely high,
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And its struggle for survival would only intensify.
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Back then, wars were fought on distant battlefields.
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Civilians lived under threat, yes,
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But the fighting wasn't inside israel's cities.
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That all changed
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With the dawning of the age of missiles.
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For decades, beginning in the early 2000s,
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Hamas rained rockets from gaza
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Deep into israel's heartland.
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No longer was the battlefield over there.
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The front lines moved into israeli neighborhoods,
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Playgrounds, and schools.
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And then came october 7th, 2023,
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A day that didn't just break the old rules of warfare,
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It tore them to shreds.
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Not only rockets, but boots on the ground.
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Hamas terrorists joined by gazan civilians
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Pouring across the border,
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Slaughtering, kidnapping, burning.
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A new kind of war fought in israel's streets,
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Homes, and backyards.
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Since october 7th was sukkot,
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The feast of tabernacles,
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And a sabbath on top of that,
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Many of israel's youngest soldiers,
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Fresh recruits, stationed on frontline
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Bases along the gaza border
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Were home on leave for the holiday.
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And when hamas launched its savage pre-dawn invasion,
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Those quiet outposts became their first targets.
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The surprise wasn't just strategic,
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It was merciless.
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The front line was hit hard, overrun.
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When that line collapsed,
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The next uniformed force to face the horror
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Wasn't the military, it was the police.
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All across the border towns,
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From sderot to ofakim,
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It was local police officers who stood in the gap.
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They weren't equipped for war,
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They weren't trained for battle,
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But they became israel's first line of defense that day,
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Battling terrorist cells
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With the limited weapons they had,
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Buying time for reinforcements,
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Holding key intersections,
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And rescuing civilians from certain death.
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In sderot, hamas terrorists stormed the police station.
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Officers on duty fought them off
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In a fierce, close-quarters battle.
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The local police station became a fortress of resistance,
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Where, sadly, about 10 police officers
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Lost their lives.
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Many of them were off-duty,
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Dragged into combat with just seconds' notice.
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In the end, after 10 hours of brutal fighting,
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The idf had to bulldoze the station
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Just to eliminate the last of the hamas terrorists
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Holed up inside.
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The bravery of the police became the first barricade
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Between chaos and survival.
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In cities all across southern israel,
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It was police units who stopped the infiltration
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From spreading even further into the very heart of israel.
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No one asked them to be soldiers,
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But they were.
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That morning, they became warriors.
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Mati shoshani is sitting down with one of them,
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A man who didn't just wear the uniform,
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But embodied its highest calling.
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Officer ramo alhuzeil
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Was not just there that day.
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He was on duty at the nova festival,
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And he saved over 200 lives.
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Ramo helped hold the line
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When it felt like all else had fallen.
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Let's hear his story.
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Ramo, we're talking about the heroes of october 7th.
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You're one of those people.
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Tell us where october 7th
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At 6:30 am finds you.
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I arrived to the nova party at 6:22,
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A few minutes before it all started.
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It was the first time i did an extra job.
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In the police you can make extra job
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If you go guard a football game
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Or a festival like the nova.
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6:28, 6:29, it all started.
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Thousands of rockets.
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In the beginning, we didn't know
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What's going on.
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When we start to evacuate everyone,
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6:40, 6:45,
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We start to hear a lot of shooting from the border.
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Listen, it's close.
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Around 6:50, i received two videos,
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One from a truck full of terrorists in sderot,
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And the second one is the invasion
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From the zikim beach.
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Like everyone else, i looked on the videos many times
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Because i didn't believe they managed
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To get inside israel.
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And 7:03 a.m. it all started.
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One of the teenagers run to our direction,
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Yelling that his friend or brother was shot
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Next to reim.
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We went to the command center,
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One of my detectives get inside
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To inform about the issue,
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And suddenly, between 10 to 15 teenagers
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Running from the road to our direction,
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Yelling, "terrorists, terrorists,
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"they are shooting at us.
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"there is one badly wounded."
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Automatically, what i do, i take my pistol,
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Reload, and charge.
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In my mind, maybe one group of terrorists
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Or two groups of terrorists,
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Not 350 heavily armed,
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That are coming from three directions,
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From reim, from beeri, and from behind us.
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And there is not much between a pistol to an ak.
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So what do you do?
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We waited until they will come closer
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So we can fight with them.
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It was a short fight but it felt a long fight.
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When we said that we cannot hold much longer,
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We start to yell to everyone to run to the east,
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To the open field.
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In that time also my father called me.
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Really? -and i put him on speaker,
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And i told him: "father, i cannot speak right now."
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And i put him in the pocket.
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And he started to pray
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That i will get out of there alive.
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How did you make it out alive?
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How did you save people in the nova festival?
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You don't think, only act.
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In one magazine, you have 15 bullets, not much.
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In the morning, because a strange feeling i had,
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I decided to take a third magazine with me.
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The third magazine, i gave to my detective,
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Because he was stressed,
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He finished all the bullets
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Very fast.
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And each bullet we shoot must hit the target,
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Because we are out of ammunition.
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At some point, i told my two detectives
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To run with 30, 40 teenagers
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To the open field, to escort them.
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And they stand last one to hear it,
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And yelling if there is anyone else in my area.
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You think you were gonna die?
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When i was in the open field?
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Yeah. -it was a moment that,
00:10:28.617 --> 00:10:30.753
Yeah, i waited the next bullet will hit me.
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And it didn't.
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It was next to...
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A few centimeters next to my head.
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You know what they say on the films,
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That you see all the pictures of your family
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Before you die,
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It's true.
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I saw the family, all my family,
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My kids, my wife,
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My parents, my brothers.
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It was a moment that you are...
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You accept that you are going to die.
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They were fully armed,
00:11:07.523 --> 00:11:09.358
Heavily armed, with heavy equipment on them.
00:11:09.358 --> 00:11:14.630
And they don't back off.
00:11:14.630 --> 00:11:16.999
They don't back off at all.
00:11:16.999 --> 00:11:18.801
They charge.
00:11:18.801 --> 00:11:20.202
They don't fear.
00:11:20.569 --> 00:11:26.609
How can you say it, monsters?
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I was in uniform,
00:11:32.948 --> 00:11:34.049
So i was a hot target
00:11:34.049 --> 00:11:34.950
For the terrorists.
00:11:34.950 --> 00:11:36.852
When one of them launched an rpg
00:11:37.553 --> 00:11:39.421
To the cars where we were defending,
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It was big explosion,
00:11:41.490 --> 00:11:42.558
So the other terrorists
00:11:42.558 --> 00:11:43.325
In the forest
00:11:43.325 --> 00:11:44.460
Stopped shooting to my direction.
00:11:44.460 --> 00:11:46.362
I remember very clearly until today, a teenager,
00:11:46.362 --> 00:11:49.165
A young teenager with a blue dress,
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Tried to run to my direction.
00:11:51.400 --> 00:11:52.868
She got... gets out of the minivan,
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Gets down, gets up,
00:11:55.371 --> 00:11:57.339
Tried to run to my direction,
00:11:57.339 --> 00:11:58.707
And gets hit from behind her head.
00:11:58.707 --> 00:12:05.414
It's not easy.
00:12:05.781 --> 00:12:07.249
No, it was a horrific event.
00:12:07.850 --> 00:12:11.220
Yeah.
00:12:11.453 --> 00:12:14.356
After a few minutes,
00:12:14.824 --> 00:12:15.825
I get courage and stand up,
00:12:15.825 --> 00:12:18.327
And i start to run in a zigzag to the east.
00:12:18.327 --> 00:12:20.663
The terrorists realized they didn't kill me,
00:12:20.663 --> 00:12:22.131
So they started shooting me again,
00:12:22.131 --> 00:12:23.866
And i managed to hide myself
00:12:23.866 --> 00:12:27.670
Behind one of the cars on the dust road.
00:12:27.670 --> 00:12:30.973
And i hear the bullets hitting the cars.
00:12:31.807 --> 00:12:33.642
From the other side, i see a teenager,
00:12:33.642 --> 00:12:36.245
Between 8 to 10 teenagers.
00:12:36.245 --> 00:12:37.313
One of them came to me
00:12:37.313 --> 00:12:38.714
With a bottle of water, to...
00:12:38.714 --> 00:12:40.749
So i will drink.
00:12:40.749 --> 00:12:42.218
And then i hear the police
00:12:42.818 --> 00:12:44.353
With the face to beeri yelling they need backup.
00:12:44.353 --> 00:12:47.223
They were not so lucky, because at that time,
00:12:47.223 --> 00:12:49.091
From their direction,
00:12:49.091 --> 00:12:51.460
Three trucks came of terrorists.
00:12:51.460 --> 00:12:55.331
I wanted to raise my head up
00:12:55.998 --> 00:12:57.466
To see what's going on, to help them,
00:12:57.466 --> 00:12:59.101
And one of the teenagers grabbed me in the left leg
00:12:59.101 --> 00:13:00.870
And begged me not to raise my head up,
00:13:00.870 --> 00:13:02.771
Because the terrorists, they didn't point.
00:13:02.771 --> 00:13:04.907
They shoot like crazy all over
00:13:04.907 --> 00:13:06.008
Because they wanted to hit
00:13:06.008 --> 00:13:06.876
As many as they can.
00:13:06.876 --> 00:13:08.277
I wish no one would be in such a situation what to do,
00:13:09.311 --> 00:13:11.513
What to decide,
00:13:11.513 --> 00:13:13.115
To go and die with my friends,
00:13:13.782 --> 00:13:15.484
Or to save the teenagers,
00:13:16.051 --> 00:13:17.519
Because in that point, i was alone.
00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:19.755
I decided i have to help the teenagers,
00:13:19.755 --> 00:13:21.657
So i take them with me,
00:13:21.657 --> 00:13:23.259
And the first thing i'm looking for was a car.
00:13:23.259 --> 00:13:25.461
It doesn't matter which car.
00:13:25.461 --> 00:13:26.896
I found an abandoned car.
00:13:27.463 --> 00:13:29.265
It's a small car, it's not a big car.
00:13:29.265 --> 00:13:30.833
And the door of the driver was open.
00:13:30.833 --> 00:13:32.668
It's like god gave me direction,
00:13:32.668 --> 00:13:34.570
Go inside. i jumped inside,
00:13:34.570 --> 00:13:35.838
The switch was on, the fuel was full.
00:13:35.838 --> 00:13:38.374
Told everyone to get inside.
00:13:38.374 --> 00:13:39.642
Between 10 to 12, jump inside that small car.
00:13:39.642 --> 00:13:44.046
Who didn't manage to get inside,
00:13:44.046 --> 00:13:45.314
I told them to continue east
00:13:45.314 --> 00:13:46.515
Or to hide.
00:13:46.515 --> 00:13:47.383
I promised them that i will
00:13:47.383 --> 00:13:48.117
Come back.
00:13:48.117 --> 00:13:49.618
I put in reverse and then in d,
00:13:49.618 --> 00:13:51.220
Drive between the cars,
00:13:51.220 --> 00:13:53.322
And more teenagers get out of the bushes.
00:13:53.322 --> 00:13:56.558
I remember clearly one of them telling me in english:
00:13:56.558 --> 00:13:59.028
"please take me with you. i'm still young,
00:13:59.028 --> 00:14:00.229
"i don't want to die here."
00:14:00.229 --> 00:14:01.830
It broke my heart because i didn't have
00:14:01.830 --> 00:14:03.265
Any room left in the car.
00:14:03.265 --> 00:14:05.000
But i promised her that i will come back.
00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:06.936
Then i drive like crazy east,
00:14:07.569 --> 00:14:09.772
Five, seven minutes, to an unknown area.
00:14:09.772 --> 00:14:13.208
I'm calling my detective to ask him
00:14:13.208 --> 00:14:14.944
What he sees in front of him.
00:14:14.944 --> 00:14:16.812
He saw a greenhouse.
00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:18.614
So for me, the greenhouse was a temporary safe area.
00:14:18.614 --> 00:14:21.951
And from there, three hours.
00:14:21.951 --> 00:14:23.385
I go in, i go out,
00:14:23.385 --> 00:14:24.753
I go in, i go out.
00:14:24.753 --> 00:14:26.155
Each time i go in, i don't know if i will get out
00:14:26.155 --> 00:14:28.390
Alive, but as a policeman, protect and serve,
00:14:28.390 --> 00:14:30.559
Even if the chances are very low,
00:14:30.559 --> 00:14:32.227
I will do my best.
00:14:32.227 --> 00:14:37.633
10 o'clock, my wife called me,
00:14:38.334 --> 00:14:40.402
Crying on the phone, begged me to come home.
00:14:40.402 --> 00:14:42.705
She told me something that broke my heart.
00:14:42.705 --> 00:14:44.873
"your children are waiting for you."
00:14:44.873 --> 00:14:46.909
Because she knew where you were.
00:14:47.609 --> 00:14:48.911
I told her i'm on a mission,
00:14:49.578 --> 00:14:51.113
But i promised her i will come back.
00:14:51.113 --> 00:14:54.216
That day doesn't end for you there.
00:14:54.984 --> 00:14:56.852
Multiple hours have gone by,
00:14:57.519 --> 00:14:59.021
You're rescuing people back and forth,
00:14:59.021 --> 00:15:00.556
Back and forth. then what do you do next?
00:15:00.556 --> 00:15:02.524
What happens?
00:15:02.524 --> 00:15:04.126
Around 12:30, we had a teenager,
00:15:04.126 --> 00:15:07.629
She was badly wounded,
00:15:07.629 --> 00:15:09.031
So the greenhouse was not an option,
00:15:09.031 --> 00:15:12.468
And we took her to the police station of ofakim
00:15:12.468 --> 00:15:16.038
Through the dust road,
00:15:16.038 --> 00:15:17.306
Because the main road was full with terrorists.
00:15:17.306 --> 00:15:20.009
Yes.
00:15:20.009 --> 00:15:22.711
How many people do you think you rescued?
00:15:23.579 --> 00:15:27.449
Over 200.
00:15:27.750 --> 00:15:29.852
Over 200 people.
00:15:30.219 --> 00:15:32.654
Wow.
00:15:32.855 --> 00:15:34.490
How do you feel about that?
00:15:35.124 --> 00:15:39.128
Do you think about it sometimes?
00:15:39.862 --> 00:15:41.597
Sometimes i think that i didn't do enough.
00:15:42.431 --> 00:15:47.636
Wow.
00:15:47.836 --> 00:15:53.609
Think about this, you know,
00:15:54.276 --> 00:15:56.578
20 years from now, 30 years from now,
00:15:56.578 --> 00:15:58.347
How many kids and how many grandkids
00:15:58.347 --> 00:16:00.682
Will exist because of what you did on that day.
00:16:00.682 --> 00:16:03.252
For every responsible person for security,
00:16:03.252 --> 00:16:07.856
Every soldier, every civilian,
00:16:07.856 --> 00:16:10.025
Every person who fought that day and saved lives,
00:16:10.025 --> 00:16:12.561
Those lives wouldn't exist without them.
00:16:12.561 --> 00:16:14.463
It's deeply important to recognize that
00:16:14.463 --> 00:16:17.332
And to recognize what happened.
00:16:17.332 --> 00:16:19.201
You brought your uniform and your role
00:16:19.201 --> 00:16:20.803
A lot of honor by doing that.
00:16:20.803 --> 00:16:22.304
A lot of honor.
00:16:22.671 --> 00:16:24.239
So, how does that day end for you?
00:16:25.007 --> 00:16:27.709
After 15 hours of fighting and rescuing,
00:16:27.709 --> 00:16:30.112
I arrived to the house in rahat.
00:16:30.112 --> 00:16:32.614
It's the biggest bedouin city in israel.
00:16:32.614 --> 00:16:35.751
I rest maybe a few hours
00:16:35.751 --> 00:16:37.619
And put my uniform and go back.
00:16:37.619 --> 00:16:40.589
Go back to fight?
00:16:40.589 --> 00:16:42.191
Yeah.
00:16:42.424 --> 00:16:43.725
I've been to several police stations
00:16:43.725 --> 00:16:45.928
Since the war started,
00:16:45.928 --> 00:16:47.396
And in almost every one of them,
00:16:48.130 --> 00:16:50.065
On the wall are the pictures
00:16:50.065 --> 00:16:52.167
Of the policemen from that station
00:16:52.167 --> 00:16:54.303
Or other stations that were killed
00:16:54.303 --> 00:16:56.238
On the 7th and the 8th of october.
00:16:56.238 --> 00:16:59.241
And it's a lot. -yeah.
00:16:59.741 --> 00:17:01.743
There's footage from that day of policemen
00:17:01.743 --> 00:17:05.080
Running out of bullets, picking up a terrorist gun,
00:17:05.080 --> 00:17:07.249
Continuing to fight, picking up another gun,
00:17:07.249 --> 00:17:09.218
Continuing to fight. -exactly.
00:17:09.218 --> 00:17:10.285
Taking a gun off a dead soldier,
00:17:10.285 --> 00:17:11.587
Continuing to fight.
00:17:11.587 --> 00:17:12.988
In those first hours, like you,
00:17:12.988 --> 00:17:15.657
Quite a few other policemen, many of them off-duty,
00:17:15.657 --> 00:17:18.694
Were the ones who stopped the terrorists.
00:17:18.694 --> 00:17:20.696
The commander of the negev precinct in the police
00:17:20.696 --> 00:17:23.365
Essentially says, he declares on the radio,
00:17:23.365 --> 00:17:25.200
"parash paleshet", which is...
00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:27.336
The code, "parash paleshet".
00:17:27.336 --> 00:17:28.570
It means that all the policemen get out
00:17:28.570 --> 00:17:30.506
To the main roads and block them,
00:17:30.506 --> 00:17:32.207
That the terrorists will not continue forward
00:17:32.207 --> 00:17:34.409
To tel aviv and jerusalem.
00:17:34.409 --> 00:17:36.678
Unfortunately, also the nova party
00:17:36.678 --> 00:17:39.248
Stopped the terrorists from continuing forward.
00:17:39.248 --> 00:17:41.316
What do you mean, it stopped
00:17:41.316 --> 00:17:42.284
The terrorists from continuing?
00:17:42.284 --> 00:17:44.319
Because they got delayed there killing people.
00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:47.022
Yes.
00:17:47.222 --> 00:17:48.891
The nova was not a part of their plan.
00:17:48.891 --> 00:17:52.361
And the police lost a lot of the people that day.
00:17:53.395 --> 00:17:55.864
Yeah.
00:17:56.098 --> 00:17:58.433
I lost my commander.
00:17:58.901 --> 00:18:01.136
Yeah.
00:18:01.370 --> 00:18:09.578
So, your story gets a little more complicated.
00:18:10.546 --> 00:18:13.182
You're bedouin. -yeah.
00:18:13.682 --> 00:18:15.751
Who lives in the northern negev.
00:18:15.751 --> 00:18:17.619
And without trying to explain a very complicated relationship,
00:18:17.619 --> 00:18:21.123
It's a large minority in israel
00:18:21.123 --> 00:18:23.592
That lives mostly in the negev
00:18:23.592 --> 00:18:25.394
And in northern israel, all muslim,
00:18:25.394 --> 00:18:27.362
And some of the community also serves in the idf
00:18:27.362 --> 00:18:30.065
And many serve in other roles,
00:18:30.065 --> 00:18:32.000
Such as yourself in the police. -yeah.
00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:34.436
And it shows something about who you are,
00:18:34.436 --> 00:18:36.939
But also about who the bedouins are
00:18:36.939 --> 00:18:38.240
In this country.
00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:39.474
You know, something a little positive
00:18:39.474 --> 00:18:41.543
About the day, about the 7th of october,
00:18:41.543 --> 00:18:43.512
It doesn't matter if you're a jew, a muslim,
00:18:43.512 --> 00:18:45.347
A christian or a druze,
00:18:45.347 --> 00:18:46.882
Everyone, everyone in israel
00:18:46.882 --> 00:18:49.585
Fight together as one unit, one team,
00:18:49.585 --> 00:18:51.386
One group, one family against that pure terror.
00:18:51.386 --> 00:18:54.022
That's what amazing about us in israel.
00:18:54.022 --> 00:18:57.659
Also for my bedouin city, rahat,
00:18:57.659 --> 00:19:00.295
Many came to help.
00:19:00.295 --> 00:19:01.163
Some of them, unfortunately,
00:19:01.163 --> 00:19:02.231
Were killed on the road.
00:19:02.231 --> 00:19:03.398
Some of them were kidnapped.
00:19:03.398 --> 00:19:05.133
One of them is farhan,
00:19:05.133 --> 00:19:06.768
That was kidnapped also by the terrorists.
00:19:06.768 --> 00:19:09.071
They investigate him to give information about jews,
00:19:09.071 --> 00:19:12.374
Where they are.
00:19:12.374 --> 00:19:13.475
He didn't give any information
00:19:13.475 --> 00:19:14.977
And they shot him in the leg
00:19:14.977 --> 00:19:16.545
And took him to gaza.
00:19:16.545 --> 00:19:18.013
He was released.
00:19:18.013 --> 00:19:19.681
You know, i also come from a very big tribe,
00:19:20.616 --> 00:19:23.252
Alhuzeil tribe.
00:19:23.252 --> 00:19:24.620
Everyone is serving in the idf.
00:19:25.354 --> 00:19:27.289
My tribe is over 10,000.
00:19:27.289 --> 00:19:29.791
That's it? -yeah.
00:19:29.791 --> 00:19:31.660
Just 10,000 people?
00:19:31.660 --> 00:19:33.462
Something that i will tell you right now
00:19:33.462 --> 00:19:34.763
Will a little bit shock you.
00:19:34.763 --> 00:19:36.798
My grandfather was the sheikh of sheikhs
00:19:36.798 --> 00:19:39.401
In the state negev, sheikh salman alhuzeil.
00:19:39.401 --> 00:19:42.537
He was married to 39 wives,
00:19:42.537 --> 00:19:45.507
76 kids and 2,000 grandchildren.
00:19:45.507 --> 00:19:48.310
I am one of them. -wow.
00:19:48.310 --> 00:19:51.980
Yeah.
00:19:52.214 --> 00:19:53.148
The people need to know that in israel
00:19:53.915 --> 00:19:55.350
You don't have only jews that live here.
00:19:55.350 --> 00:19:57.019
You have 2.5 million muslims living together,
00:19:57.019 --> 00:20:00.355
Eating together, doing everything together,
00:20:00.355 --> 00:20:02.090
Also the christian and druze.
00:20:02.090 --> 00:20:04.326
It's a mixed culture, a beautiful one.
00:20:04.326 --> 00:20:07.362
Today, there are people that look at hamas
00:20:07.362 --> 00:20:10.399
And you know what they say about them?
00:20:11.233 --> 00:20:13.535
They're the victims.
00:20:14.002 --> 00:20:15.771
And you were there on the ground.
00:20:15.771 --> 00:20:17.939
You saw who hamas is.
00:20:17.939 --> 00:20:20.008
Even in horror movies, you don't want to see what they did.
00:20:20.008 --> 00:20:22.711
It's...
00:20:22.944 --> 00:20:25.914
You cannot describe it,
00:20:26.415 --> 00:20:28.016
The horror things they did on that day.
00:20:28.016 --> 00:20:30.619
Killing, murdering, kidnapping.
00:20:30.619 --> 00:20:33.822
Around the world, many young teenagers,
00:20:33.822 --> 00:20:37.059
Unfortunately, they get wrong information
00:20:37.059 --> 00:20:39.861
About israel.
00:20:39.861 --> 00:20:41.129
For example, which army in the world
00:20:41.129 --> 00:20:44.399
Send letters or calling
00:20:44.399 --> 00:20:48.036
Before they hit the target?
00:20:48.036 --> 00:20:49.805
Only israel. -only idf force.
00:20:49.805 --> 00:20:53.175
So what happens next for you, ramo?
00:20:53.942 --> 00:20:55.844
Do you say, what,
00:20:56.278 --> 00:20:57.179
I just continue
00:20:57.179 --> 00:20:57.913
To be a policeman?
00:20:57.913 --> 00:20:59.781
Protect and serve.
00:20:59.781 --> 00:21:00.816
Yeah? -yeah.
00:21:00.816 --> 00:21:03.218
I'll continue to do my job.
00:21:03.885 --> 00:21:05.887
Has october 7th changed the way
00:21:05.887 --> 00:21:07.456
You look at the world?
00:21:07.456 --> 00:21:09.958
You know, the 7th of october changed many people.
00:21:09.958 --> 00:21:12.394
But what i saw in israel,
00:21:12.961 --> 00:21:15.664
It amazed me every time,
00:21:16.164 --> 00:21:18.300
That everyone were together against that pure terror.
00:21:18.300 --> 00:21:22.337
Everyone in israel.
00:21:22.337 --> 00:21:24.373
Ramo, i wanna thank you for two things,
00:21:25.173 --> 00:21:28.377
One, for what you did on october 7th,
00:21:28.377 --> 00:21:30.545
And the second thing is for being open about it.
00:21:30.545 --> 00:21:33.181
And the fact that you're able to tell people around the world
00:21:33.181 --> 00:21:34.950
The truth about what really happened here
00:21:34.950 --> 00:21:37.152
On october 7th,
00:21:37.152 --> 00:21:38.186
Who hamas is, and who we are.
00:21:38.186 --> 00:21:40.922
And i think that is a very important story
00:21:40.922 --> 00:21:42.758
That needs to be heard. -yeah.
00:21:42.758 --> 00:21:44.159
Thank you, ramo. -thank you.
00:21:44.159 --> 00:21:50.899
Officer ramo alhuzeil,
00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:53.135
Like many other heroes that day,
00:21:53.135 --> 00:21:54.970
Are still living with the monstrous horrors
00:21:54.970 --> 00:21:57.672
Of what they witnessed.
00:21:57.672 --> 00:21:59.174
A level of inhumane barbarism,
00:21:59.174 --> 00:22:01.643
Completely devoid of any morality.
00:22:01.643 --> 00:22:05.080
In those first hours of october 7th,
00:22:05.881 --> 00:22:08.483
Israel was hit like never before.
00:22:08.483 --> 00:22:10.919
But then israel responded.
00:22:10.919 --> 00:22:13.555
When we come back,
00:22:13.555 --> 00:22:14.623
You'll meet an idf warrior
00:22:14.623 --> 00:22:16.024
Who stood in the breach,
00:22:16.024 --> 00:22:17.759
One of the men who helped turn the tide
00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:19.928
And pull israel back from the brink.
00:22:19.928 --> 00:22:29.004
And pull israel back from the brink.
00:22:29.004 --> 00:22:36.415
In those first horrifying hours of october 7th,
00:22:37.416 --> 00:22:41.454
Israel's frontline idf bases along the gaza border,
00:22:41.454 --> 00:22:46.225
The very shield meant to hold back the enemy,
00:22:46.225 --> 00:22:49.628
Were struck with devastating force.
00:22:49.628 --> 00:22:52.865
Within minutes, chaos erupted
00:22:52.865 --> 00:22:54.867
Inside israel's borders like never before.
00:22:54.867 --> 00:22:58.337
The chain of command was scrambling,
00:22:58.337 --> 00:23:00.806
Emergency lines were jammed,
00:23:00.806 --> 00:23:03.209
And no one yet grasped the full scale
00:23:03.209 --> 00:23:06.479
Of what was unfolding.
00:23:06.479 --> 00:23:08.214
But then israel responded.
00:23:08.214 --> 00:23:11.484
The first to regroup were the warriors
00:23:11.484 --> 00:23:13.853
Of the golani brigade,
00:23:13.853 --> 00:23:15.654
Stationed along the gaza border.
00:23:15.654 --> 00:23:17.656
On october 7th,
00:23:17.656 --> 00:23:18.791
These warriors responded head on.
00:23:18.791 --> 00:23:21.227
Despite being caught off guard, they fought tenaciously,
00:23:21.227 --> 00:23:25.197
Often improvising with sidearms and grenades
00:23:25.197 --> 00:23:28.467
To hold back the attackers until reinforcements arrived.
00:23:28.467 --> 00:23:32.771
In the chaos, units struggled with confusion
00:23:32.771 --> 00:23:35.941
And overrun defenses, especially near kibbutzim
00:23:35.941 --> 00:23:39.612
Like nirim, magen, and nir oz,
00:23:39.612 --> 00:23:42.948
Where communication blackouts left soldiers isolated
00:23:42.948 --> 00:23:46.585
And unsure of the broader situation.
00:23:46.585 --> 00:23:49.889
Reinforcements came fast,
00:23:49.889 --> 00:23:52.258
Just as fast as israel could move them.
00:23:52.258 --> 00:23:55.127
And then, an all-female idf tank crew,
00:23:55.127 --> 00:23:58.664
Part of the caracal battalion,
00:23:58.664 --> 00:24:01.033
Rushed north from their base and plunged into combat.
00:24:01.033 --> 00:24:04.904
These 20-year-old women operated merkava tanks
00:24:04.904 --> 00:24:08.974
Without pause, running over militants,
00:24:08.974 --> 00:24:11.911
Sealing breaches,
00:24:11.911 --> 00:24:13.145
And driving directly into kibbutz holit
00:24:13.145 --> 00:24:16.015
To rescue trapped civilians.
00:24:16.015 --> 00:24:18.417
They fought continuously for over 17 hours,
00:24:18.417 --> 00:24:22.655
Becoming the first all-female
00:24:22.655 --> 00:24:24.957
Combat tank crew in history.
00:24:24.957 --> 00:24:27.826
Elite units like shaldag, sayeret matkal,
00:24:27.826 --> 00:24:31.564
And shayetet 13, naval commandos,
00:24:31.564 --> 00:24:34.533
Were deployed into the fray,
00:24:34.533 --> 00:24:36.702
Arriving swiftly to engage terrorists
00:24:36.702 --> 00:24:39.104
Who were raping and pillaging through towns
00:24:39.104 --> 00:24:41.941
Like beeri, kfar aza, and beyond.
00:24:41.941 --> 00:24:45.711
Now we'll meet one of those idf heroes
00:24:45.711 --> 00:24:48.581
Who stepped in to save the day.
00:24:48.581 --> 00:24:59.158
Nimrod, thank you so much for joining us.
00:25:00.025 --> 00:25:02.227
Thank you. -you have an incredible story to tell
00:25:02.227 --> 00:25:03.996
About the events of october 7th
00:25:03.996 --> 00:25:05.764
And the aftermath, but first,
00:25:05.764 --> 00:25:07.499
Tell us about your life here in israel
00:25:07.499 --> 00:25:09.935
Before that turning point day.
00:25:09.935 --> 00:25:12.237
I have family, four kids,
00:25:12.237 --> 00:25:14.473
A beautiful wife.
00:25:14.473 --> 00:25:16.008
Our life were, i cannot say simple,
00:25:16.008 --> 00:25:18.544
But we had not much to be worried about.
00:25:18.544 --> 00:25:22.781
I think, today to look back at our life
00:25:22.781 --> 00:25:25.384
Prior to october 7th
00:25:25.384 --> 00:25:27.319
Is a utopia that i wish to go back to.
00:25:27.319 --> 00:25:30.556
I was an entrepreneur, still am.
00:25:30.556 --> 00:25:32.358
And serving in the idf reserves as well.
00:25:32.358 --> 00:25:34.660
I'm a major in the idf reserve.
00:25:34.660 --> 00:25:36.962
Went to different complex operations,
00:25:36.962 --> 00:25:39.398
And so i have a lot of experience in the idf.
00:25:39.398 --> 00:25:41.500
Yeah, and that experience came in very handy
00:25:41.500 --> 00:25:44.603
On october 7th. -yeah, yeah.
00:25:44.603 --> 00:25:47.306
When do you learn about what's happening,
00:25:47.306 --> 00:25:49.108
And when do you get the call
00:25:49.108 --> 00:25:50.342
From your commanding officer?
00:25:50.342 --> 00:25:51.710
I woke up early as always,
00:25:51.710 --> 00:25:53.212
But i didn't reach out to the phone,
00:25:53.212 --> 00:25:54.446
And we didn't have any alarm where we were,
00:25:54.446 --> 00:25:56.415
No sirens, nothing.
00:25:56.415 --> 00:25:58.017
And around five minutes to 7 a.m.,
00:25:58.017 --> 00:25:59.852
I reached out to my phone for the first time,
00:25:59.852 --> 00:26:02.254
And i see an unanswered phone call
00:26:02.254 --> 00:26:03.722
From my commander, which is very odd.
00:26:03.722 --> 00:26:05.724
It's a holiday, it's a saturday.
00:26:05.724 --> 00:26:07.860
Shabbat. -shabbat, very early in the morning.
00:26:07.860 --> 00:26:10.562
I ask myself, what's going on?
00:26:10.562 --> 00:26:12.031
I immediately called him back.
00:26:12.031 --> 00:26:13.732
It's a very quick conversation.
00:26:13.732 --> 00:26:14.967
He says: "nimrod, where are you?"
00:26:14.967 --> 00:26:16.568
I'm telling him where i am.
00:26:16.568 --> 00:26:18.270
And he says: "listen, hamas had fired rockets
00:26:18.270 --> 00:26:20.205
"into israel. israel is in war."
00:26:20.205 --> 00:26:23.709
I said: "okay."
00:26:24.076 --> 00:26:25.611
He asked me: "how fast can you get to jerusalem?
00:26:25.611 --> 00:26:27.546
"we are being deployed in jerusalem.
00:26:27.546 --> 00:26:29.314
"that's what we need to do.
00:26:29.314 --> 00:26:30.249
"we need to defend jerusalem."
00:26:30.249 --> 00:26:32.017
And i told him: "i don't know,
00:26:32.017 --> 00:26:32.885
"50 minutes, i'm there."
00:26:32.885 --> 00:26:34.920
What i did, i immediately got up from the bed,
00:26:34.920 --> 00:26:37.356
And i looked at miriam, my wife,
00:26:37.356 --> 00:26:39.024
And she was asleep.
00:26:39.024 --> 00:26:40.492
And i asked myself, i was in a dilemma,
00:26:40.492 --> 00:26:42.428
Should i wake her up or no?
00:26:42.428 --> 00:26:44.363
The reason i didn't want to wake her up,
00:26:44.363 --> 00:26:45.764
Because in my mind, this is nothing.
00:26:45.764 --> 00:26:48.333
By noon, it will be over.
00:26:48.333 --> 00:26:49.802
It's another rocket attack. -you've seen it before.
00:26:49.802 --> 00:26:51.503
We've seen it, we're used to it in israel.
00:26:51.503 --> 00:26:53.338
Unfortunately, i don't know a lot of countries
00:26:53.338 --> 00:26:55.507
That are under rocket attack, and you'll tell yourself,
00:26:55.507 --> 00:26:57.743
It will be end by noon.
00:26:57.743 --> 00:26:59.912
And i decided not to wake her up.
00:26:59.912 --> 00:27:02.781
Bad decision.
00:27:02.781 --> 00:27:03.982
And i just left.
00:27:04.349 --> 00:27:05.951
I put the shoes near the door,
00:27:05.951 --> 00:27:07.820
And i went to grab a bottle of water.
00:27:07.820 --> 00:27:10.022
And when i left, i forgot the shoes.
00:27:10.022 --> 00:27:11.256
I started october 7th, completely barefoot.
00:27:11.256 --> 00:27:14.827
I ran to my car, and i drove.
00:27:14.827 --> 00:27:16.929
While i'm driving, my commander told me
00:27:17.763 --> 00:27:20.099
There was a war.
00:27:20.099 --> 00:27:21.366
I'm entering the biggest news channel
00:27:21.366 --> 00:27:24.103
Over my phone, and the headline is
00:27:24.103 --> 00:27:26.138
"israel at war."
00:27:26.138 --> 00:27:27.806
But around me, clear, beautiful blue sky,
00:27:27.806 --> 00:27:31.410
All quiet, i'm on the highway,
00:27:31.410 --> 00:27:33.412
And i don't see anyone like me.
00:27:33.412 --> 00:27:35.280
I don't see any idf reservists
00:27:35.280 --> 00:27:36.815
Running to their bases.
00:27:36.815 --> 00:27:38.517
So i'm like gaslighting myself.
00:27:38.517 --> 00:27:41.086
Is there a war or no? what's going on?
00:27:41.086 --> 00:27:44.056
And while i'm driving towards jerusalem,
00:27:44.056 --> 00:27:45.758
And i'm driving pretty quick,
00:27:45.758 --> 00:27:48.594
I suddenly receive a text on my phone
00:27:48.594 --> 00:27:51.597
From one of my whatsapp groups,
00:27:51.597 --> 00:27:53.599
Where for the first time i see a bunch of terrorists.
00:27:53.599 --> 00:27:56.168
It's like a part from a film, from a movie.
00:27:56.168 --> 00:27:58.971
These terrorists have their green bandages
00:27:58.971 --> 00:28:01.206
Of hamas terrorists, ak-47s,
00:28:01.206 --> 00:28:04.209
Shooting at civilians and police cars
00:28:04.209 --> 00:28:06.478
In the city of sderot,
00:28:06.478 --> 00:28:07.980
In the heart of civilian population.
00:28:07.980 --> 00:28:10.983
And i'm telling myself, this is way off.
00:28:11.817 --> 00:28:14.286
It was an invasion. -it looks like an invasion.
00:28:14.286 --> 00:28:17.122
In israel, we're used to one or two terrorists
00:28:17.122 --> 00:28:20.292
Running around with hatchets, knives,
00:28:20.292 --> 00:28:23.061
Killing civilians,
00:28:23.061 --> 00:28:24.229
And it will be ending in a few seconds.
00:28:24.229 --> 00:28:27.166
But here's something completely off.
00:28:27.166 --> 00:28:29.334
And my first response is to call my commander.
00:28:29.334 --> 00:28:31.804
And that's what i'm doing.
00:28:32.371 --> 00:28:33.872
And i ask him: "what's going on?"
00:28:33.872 --> 00:28:35.741
And he says: "i don't know. i understand things
00:28:35.741 --> 00:28:37.309
"are happening in the south.
00:28:37.309 --> 00:28:38.343
"we don't know,
00:28:38.343 --> 00:28:39.077
"but we have a job to do
00:28:39.077 --> 00:28:39.745
"in jerusalem."
00:28:39.745 --> 00:28:41.246
And i don't know why, where did i get...
00:28:42.114 --> 00:28:45.384
It's god.
00:28:45.684 --> 00:28:47.820
The first thing that i'm telling him:
00:28:47.820 --> 00:28:49.488
"no, we need to go south, something else is happening.
00:28:49.488 --> 00:28:53.225
"we are all search and rescue,
00:28:53.225 --> 00:28:54.493
"that's why we were deployed very early.
00:28:54.493 --> 00:28:57.029
"we all carry pistols with us.
00:28:57.029 --> 00:28:59.031
"let's go south."
00:28:59.031 --> 00:29:00.632
And he basically told me: "you're out of your mind."
00:29:00.632 --> 00:29:04.002
"nimrod", in hebrew, the meaning of the name
00:29:04.002 --> 00:29:06.071
Is to rebel.
00:29:06.071 --> 00:29:07.539
Probably i acted all my life this way.
00:29:08.373 --> 00:29:10.742
And he told me: "nimrod, you promised me
00:29:10.742 --> 00:29:12.110
"you'll stop rebelling.
00:29:12.110 --> 00:29:14.213
"you have a job to do.
00:29:14.713 --> 00:29:15.881
"you're a company commander.
00:29:15.881 --> 00:29:17.049
"i need you in jerusalem.
00:29:17.049 --> 00:29:18.083
"don't do any mistakes."
00:29:18.083 --> 00:29:20.085
And i listened to him,
00:29:20.085 --> 00:29:22.154
But a few moments goes by, another film,
00:29:22.154 --> 00:29:26.158
And then something is not, it's bugging me.
00:29:26.158 --> 00:29:29.461
So i'm texting in the whatsapp group
00:29:29.461 --> 00:29:31.330
Of all the officers in my unit.
00:29:31.330 --> 00:29:33.799
And i write: "guys, we all need to go down south.
00:29:33.799 --> 00:29:37.035
"who is coming with me?"
00:29:37.035 --> 00:29:38.537
No one is answering.
00:29:39.004 --> 00:29:41.073
And i'm receiving a phone call from my commander
00:29:41.073 --> 00:29:43.008
And he snaps.
00:29:43.008 --> 00:29:44.409
And he gives me a direct order:
00:29:45.077 --> 00:29:46.478
"come to jerusalem and leave your phone aside."
00:29:46.478 --> 00:29:49.114
You did go to jerusalem.
00:29:49.114 --> 00:29:50.716
I did go to jerusalem.
00:29:50.716 --> 00:29:51.683
Face to face with him.
00:29:51.683 --> 00:29:53.318
Shoeless with a pistol.
00:29:52.484 --> 00:29:55.921
And then i disobeyed his order.
00:29:54.486 --> 00:29:59.124
I followed my heart.
00:29:59.124 --> 00:30:00.626
I didn't know, not even half percent
00:30:00.626 --> 00:30:03.195
Of what we all know now of october 7th.
00:30:03.195 --> 00:30:05.731
Whenever i was a kid, i used to follow my heart,
00:30:05.731 --> 00:30:08.734
Get into trouble, but always i appreciated it.
00:30:08.734 --> 00:30:11.303
It always led me to good places in life.
00:30:11.303 --> 00:30:13.872
What are the repercussions
00:30:13.872 --> 00:30:15.207
Of defying your commanding officer's order?
00:30:15.207 --> 00:30:18.210
Can you get in trouble, some kind of trouble for that?
00:30:18.210 --> 00:30:20.712
I was supposed to be a lieutenant colonel
00:30:20.712 --> 00:30:23.015
To move higher on the ranks,
00:30:23.015 --> 00:30:25.183
And i knew that i'm risking everything.
00:30:25.183 --> 00:30:27.085
He also told me that.
00:30:27.085 --> 00:30:28.754
He told me: "you're throwing more than 20 years
00:30:28.754 --> 00:30:30.656
"of army career as a reservist to the trash.
00:30:30.656 --> 00:30:33.325
"you cannot do something like that.
00:30:33.325 --> 00:30:34.793
"you need to follow orders.
00:30:34.793 --> 00:30:36.628
"that's how big organizations are structured."
00:30:36.628 --> 00:30:40.232
And i believe that in situations like that,
00:30:40.232 --> 00:30:42.834
You need to be agile, you need to be flexible.
00:30:42.834 --> 00:30:44.836
You need to break all laws in order to be able
00:30:44.836 --> 00:30:48.307
To work and operate in a chaotic environment
00:30:48.307 --> 00:30:50.542
Like hamas forced on us on october 7th.
00:30:50.542 --> 00:30:53.679
So you head south,
00:30:53.679 --> 00:30:55.080
Did anyone come with you? -i went all alone.
00:30:55.080 --> 00:30:57.816
Just you. -just me.
00:30:57.816 --> 00:30:59.418
And what do you see when you get there?
00:30:59.418 --> 00:31:01.887
One moment before that, while i'm driving,
00:31:01.887 --> 00:31:04.890
I'm receiving a phone call from my ex-wife
00:31:04.890 --> 00:31:07.292
And her boyfriend is from kibbutz nir oz.
00:31:07.292 --> 00:31:10.996
She screamed at me, she woke me up
00:31:10.996 --> 00:31:13.966
And i never got to sleep ever since,
00:31:13.966 --> 00:31:15.701
On a metaphoric level.
00:31:15.701 --> 00:31:17.402
She shouted: "listen to me, what i'm telling you right now.
00:31:17.402 --> 00:31:21.573
"nir oz has hundreds of terrorists in.
00:31:21.573 --> 00:31:24.409
"they overran the entire community
00:31:24.409 --> 00:31:26.445
"and they are killing, methodically, people right now.
00:31:26.445 --> 00:31:29.614
"i need you to go there and to save them.
00:31:29.614 --> 00:31:31.683
"where are you?"
00:31:31.683 --> 00:31:32.985
And i told her: "listen, i'm already on my way."
00:31:32.985 --> 00:31:35.887
Now i have a pin to go to.
00:31:35.887 --> 00:31:38.056
Now i know that he is next door neighbor
00:31:38.056 --> 00:31:40.459
With the bibas family, the two redhead kids.
00:31:40.459 --> 00:31:44.096
Little children who hamas murdered.
00:31:44.096 --> 00:31:46.131
Who hamas murdered. -and captured.
00:31:46.131 --> 00:31:48.233
That's one of the reasons
00:31:48.233 --> 00:31:49.534
I never got to sleep good ever since.
00:31:49.534 --> 00:31:52.004
It's the guilt. i never got to nir oz,
00:31:52.004 --> 00:31:53.839
I'll tell you the end of the story.
00:31:53.839 --> 00:31:55.273
I didn't manage to get to nir oz,
00:31:55.273 --> 00:31:56.608
I was stopped on the way.
00:31:56.608 --> 00:31:58.176
While i'm driving fast,
00:31:58.176 --> 00:32:00.112
Terrorists intercept us on the road
00:32:00.112 --> 00:32:01.880
And that's what happened,
00:32:01.880 --> 00:32:02.681
Many people like me died
00:32:02.681 --> 00:32:03.815
In their cars,
00:32:03.815 --> 00:32:05.217
Rushing to save innocent lives.
00:32:05.217 --> 00:32:07.953
One of my friends, we were supposed to meet together
00:32:07.953 --> 00:32:10.822
Right near the fire zone,
00:32:10.822 --> 00:32:13.792
And i had a few minutes while i'm waiting for him
00:32:13.792 --> 00:32:16.061
And then i realized i'm about to die.
00:32:16.061 --> 00:32:18.296
This is the last day of my life.
00:32:18.296 --> 00:32:20.399
My kids are still asleep, it's still early in the morning.
00:32:20.399 --> 00:32:23.168
And what i did is the most hardest thing
00:32:23.168 --> 00:32:24.936
I had to do in my life.
00:32:24.936 --> 00:32:26.371
I left a goodbye video in my phone.
00:32:26.371 --> 00:32:47.859
And from that moment on, i said goodbye to life
00:32:48.794 --> 00:32:52.064
And i thanked god for everything he gave me
00:32:52.064 --> 00:32:54.232
And for pointing me to this moment.
00:32:54.232 --> 00:32:57.302
And i was a free man, and i just went to fight,
00:32:57.302 --> 00:32:59.805
And i became a machine.
00:32:59.805 --> 00:33:02.741
And my senses were sharper, everything was sharper
00:33:02.741 --> 00:33:05.110
And i was ready to go and save life.
00:33:05.110 --> 00:33:07.512
And eventually my first stop
00:33:07.512 --> 00:33:09.548
Is outside of kibbutz alumim.
00:33:09.548 --> 00:33:11.616
It's a main junction.
00:33:11.616 --> 00:33:12.818
Hamas have done, unfortunately,
00:33:12.818 --> 00:33:15.320
A very smart decision strategically.
00:33:15.320 --> 00:33:17.856
They didn't capture only the bases
00:33:17.856 --> 00:33:20.058
And the communities, they captured the main road.
00:33:20.058 --> 00:33:22.661
And when i'm trying to cross alumim junction,
00:33:22.661 --> 00:33:26.098
I'm under heavy fire,
00:33:26.098 --> 00:33:27.866
With two people in my car,
00:33:28.467 --> 00:33:29.801
One that i don't know what's his name even,
00:33:29.801 --> 00:33:31.837
We just connected and drove together.
00:33:31.837 --> 00:33:34.706
And kirill, one of my friends,
00:33:34.706 --> 00:33:37.409
He was actually a soldier under me.
00:33:37.409 --> 00:33:40.145
And we are breaking the car under heavy fire,
00:33:40.145 --> 00:33:43.782
I'm jumping, i see in front of me
00:33:43.782 --> 00:33:45.917
A bunch of terrorists, bloodthirsty terrorists,
00:33:45.917 --> 00:33:49.087
And around me there are 23 bodies.
00:33:49.087 --> 00:33:51.756
Now i know the number.
00:33:51.756 --> 00:33:53.225
All of them are victims of the nova festival
00:33:53.225 --> 00:33:55.927
That managed to have left only to be captured
00:33:55.927 --> 00:33:58.263
And executed in this junction.
00:33:58.263 --> 00:34:01.199
And i also saw a rape victim.
00:34:01.199 --> 00:34:04.069
I remember myself checking her pulse,
00:34:04.870 --> 00:34:07.706
Her panties were all the way down.
00:34:08.473 --> 00:34:10.242
She was raped and murdered by hamas.
00:34:10.242 --> 00:34:11.877
By hamas on the junction, on the asphalt road,
00:34:11.877 --> 00:34:16.281
Completely helpless, in the face of evilness.
00:34:16.281 --> 00:34:19.918
Someone's daughter. -someone's daughter.
00:34:19.918 --> 00:34:22.854
She had a full life ahead of her.
00:34:22.854 --> 00:34:25.323
I covered her.
00:34:25.690 --> 00:34:27.192
And from that moment on, it will take
00:34:27.959 --> 00:34:32.264
Myself, my friends that were with me,
00:34:32.264 --> 00:34:34.399
And all the people that joined me,
00:34:34.399 --> 00:34:35.901
We were few against many,
00:34:35.901 --> 00:34:38.570
To kill all these almost 40 hamas terrorists,
00:34:38.570 --> 00:34:43.141
To eliminate the threat on kibbutz alumim.
00:34:43.141 --> 00:34:46.011
They tried with everything they got
00:34:46.011 --> 00:34:48.680
To enter this helpless community
00:34:48.680 --> 00:34:50.515
And to kill innocent life.
00:34:50.515 --> 00:34:52.784
And we were the only things between them.
00:34:52.784 --> 00:34:54.819
So we were basically 14 against more than 30.
00:34:54.819 --> 00:34:59.858
At the first few minutes, one of us died.
00:35:00.725 --> 00:35:03.328
A few were injured.
00:35:03.795 --> 00:35:05.297
Myself, i got shot in the chest on that day.
00:35:05.297 --> 00:35:07.632
And i survived to tell this story.
00:35:08.400 --> 00:35:12.704
But not only we eliminated this threat
00:35:12.704 --> 00:35:15.640
Of terrorists on kibbutz alumim,
00:35:15.640 --> 00:35:18.176
But basically we opened the main road
00:35:18.176 --> 00:35:20.712
To more communities, to the nova festival,
00:35:20.712 --> 00:35:23.548
And to other communities.
00:35:23.548 --> 00:35:24.783
How long did this firefight last?
00:35:24.783 --> 00:35:27.152
It was around two and a half hours.
00:35:27.152 --> 00:35:29.354
Very hard.
00:35:29.654 --> 00:35:30.989
Everything that i was taught in my service
00:35:30.989 --> 00:35:34.392
And my experience in the army,
00:35:34.392 --> 00:35:35.794
I had to put everything.
00:35:35.794 --> 00:35:37.629
I know that we, the jewish people,
00:35:37.629 --> 00:35:39.864
We kept saying this mantra of "never again"
00:35:39.864 --> 00:35:42.200
From the holocaust,
00:35:42.200 --> 00:35:43.535
That we were killed just by being jews.
00:35:43.535 --> 00:35:46.671
And here i felt that i see it again.
00:35:46.671 --> 00:35:49.174
You know, they were, the hamas terrorists,
00:35:49.174 --> 00:35:51.776
Not only they killed people,
00:35:51.776 --> 00:35:54.479
After they raped specifically and killed soldiers,
00:35:54.479 --> 00:35:57.682
They violated their bodies.
00:35:57.682 --> 00:35:59.651
They tortured the bodies by burning them
00:35:59.651 --> 00:36:01.319
Or shooting at their genitalia
00:36:01.319 --> 00:36:03.321
And their heads and their faces.
00:36:03.321 --> 00:36:05.790
So they burned a lot.
00:36:05.790 --> 00:36:07.659
They burned cars, houses, warehouses.
00:36:07.659 --> 00:36:11.062
You could see communities by almost a chimney,
00:36:11.062 --> 00:36:14.766
A pillar of smoke all the way to the sky.
00:36:14.766 --> 00:36:17.702
And for me, when i arrived there,
00:36:17.702 --> 00:36:19.371
It immediately reminded me of auschwitz.
00:36:19.371 --> 00:36:23.241
Hamas is a modern-day nazi death cult.
00:36:24.075 --> 00:36:28.046
Hamas stopped at no point.
00:36:28.046 --> 00:36:29.814
They killed christians, muslims, buddhists.
00:36:29.814 --> 00:36:33.084
They killed everyone on the path.
00:36:33.084 --> 00:36:35.420
It was an act of barbarism
00:36:35.420 --> 00:36:36.855
That i think humankind almost hasn't seen in the world.
00:36:36.855 --> 00:36:40.759
You... when, in this two-and-a-half-hour firefight
00:36:41.793 --> 00:36:45.730
You eliminate the hamas terrorists,
00:36:45.730 --> 00:36:47.666
You're shot in the chest, but you didn't finish,
00:36:47.666 --> 00:36:51.469
You went to beeri, which is one of the main scenes
00:36:51.469 --> 00:36:54.272
Of the carnage as well,
00:36:54.272 --> 00:36:56.107
But how are you feeling physically?
00:36:56.107 --> 00:36:58.410
The feeling of being shot
00:36:58.410 --> 00:36:59.744
Is like the spirit is leaving your body
00:36:59.744 --> 00:37:03.548
For the first few minutes.
00:37:03.548 --> 00:37:04.716
I broke my sternum bone,
00:37:04.716 --> 00:37:06.184
But i didn't know that until two weeks after,
00:37:06.184 --> 00:37:08.520
When i was ready to check myself up.
00:37:08.520 --> 00:37:11.356
So physically, i was broken,
00:37:11.356 --> 00:37:12.857
But mentality and my spirit, i was a lion.
00:37:12.857 --> 00:37:16.528
I didn't stop at anything.
00:37:16.528 --> 00:37:18.530
You were in the zone. -i was in the zone.
00:37:18.530 --> 00:37:20.398
I pushed all the small unit that was with me
00:37:20.398 --> 00:37:23.168
To go to beeri. -and you still just had
00:37:23.168 --> 00:37:25.603
The pistol or what...? -at the beginning,
00:37:25.603 --> 00:37:27.172
I took weapons from the terrorists,
00:37:27.172 --> 00:37:29.874
Then from a dead soldier,
00:37:29.874 --> 00:37:31.876
Then from a wounded soldier.
00:37:31.876 --> 00:37:33.011
I kept switching equipment
00:37:33.011 --> 00:37:35.280
And finding equipment.
00:37:35.280 --> 00:37:36.781
That's what i said. -did you have shoes by then?
00:37:36.781 --> 00:37:38.116
I had shoes, no socks, by the way.
00:37:38.116 --> 00:37:40.352
I keep laughing about how trauma works.
00:37:40.352 --> 00:37:42.387
Today, when you open my trunk of my car,
00:37:42.387 --> 00:37:44.589
You'll see ammunition, i'm ready to go,
00:37:44.589 --> 00:37:46.991
And you'll see socks, i have a bag of socks.
00:37:46.991 --> 00:37:49.761
And throughout the whole fight
00:37:49.761 --> 00:37:51.429
Against these terrorists in the junction,
00:37:51.429 --> 00:37:53.832
We kept hearing shooting and explosions in beeri,
00:37:53.832 --> 00:37:56.501
Not far from us.
00:37:56.501 --> 00:37:57.836
And i pushed everyone that were with me
00:37:57.836 --> 00:37:59.437
To go to beeri.
00:37:59.437 --> 00:38:00.839
What do you see when you arrive at kibbutz beeri,
00:38:01.773 --> 00:38:05.043
Which was a scene of just horrific devastation?
00:38:05.043 --> 00:38:08.546
First of all, i understand
00:38:09.180 --> 00:38:10.482
There are hundreds of terrorists still inside.
00:38:10.482 --> 00:38:12.584
It's like a russian roulette
00:38:12.584 --> 00:38:14.052
To get in and out every time.
00:38:14.052 --> 00:38:15.754
That's what basically we did.
00:38:16.421 --> 00:38:17.522
We went in, we found families,
00:38:17.522 --> 00:38:19.391
We ran with them outside, under fire,
00:38:19.391 --> 00:38:21.993
And brought them back to safety outside of the community.
00:38:21.993 --> 00:38:24.129
And then just turn around and you go back in.
00:38:24.129 --> 00:38:27.565
And i felt like we have to break
00:38:27.565 --> 00:38:29.734
These waves of terrorists until the idf will come.
00:38:29.734 --> 00:38:33.104
No loss.
00:38:33.104 --> 00:38:34.305
Again, i don't know my comrades' names.
00:38:34.305 --> 00:38:36.174
I just call them brothers.
00:38:36.174 --> 00:38:37.542
"brother, come, brother..." i don't know.
00:38:37.542 --> 00:38:39.511
A literal fight for survival. -yeah.
00:38:39.511 --> 00:38:42.147
And what i had to see in beeri will be with me
00:38:42.147 --> 00:38:45.049
For the rest of my life.
00:38:45.049 --> 00:38:47.152
I saw families that were not only murdered,
00:38:47.152 --> 00:38:50.155
All of them together, babies, kids, and parents.
00:38:50.155 --> 00:38:52.924
They were tortured in front of each other.
00:38:52.924 --> 00:38:55.360
Kids in front of their parents
00:38:56.027 --> 00:38:57.262
And parents in front of the kids
00:38:57.262 --> 00:38:58.730
That has fingers missing, ears, eye, limbs.
00:38:58.730 --> 00:39:04.002
And usually when we are against terrorists,
00:39:04.903 --> 00:39:09.841
You're shooting when you go in.
00:39:09.841 --> 00:39:11.810
You want to shoot the bad guys.
00:39:11.810 --> 00:39:13.511
Here i cannot shoot.
00:39:13.511 --> 00:39:15.113
There are civilian people inside.
00:39:15.113 --> 00:39:16.648
So i had to risk my life even twice.
00:39:16.648 --> 00:39:19.083
And that's how many of us, by the way,
00:39:19.083 --> 00:39:20.585
Injured and died in beeri
00:39:20.585 --> 00:39:22.287
Because we were entering the house so easy and gentle,
00:39:22.287 --> 00:39:25.523
Just not to harm anyone on the way.
00:39:25.523 --> 00:39:27.859
I remember the situation.
00:39:27.859 --> 00:39:28.927
We had to pound the doors
00:39:28.927 --> 00:39:30.395
Of the safe rooms and beg people: "this is us.
00:39:30.395 --> 00:39:33.331
"we arrived. we are the idf.
00:39:33.331 --> 00:39:34.699
"you can open the door. let's go out."
00:39:34.699 --> 00:39:36.100
Some of them did open.
00:39:36.100 --> 00:39:37.602
Some of them didn't trust us
00:39:37.602 --> 00:39:39.637
And didn't open.
00:39:39.637 --> 00:39:40.705
Because hamas terrorists were wearing
00:39:40.705 --> 00:39:42.006
Idf uniforms.
00:39:42.006 --> 00:39:43.041
They were wearing uniforms.
00:39:43.041 --> 00:39:43.908
And also there is one story
00:39:43.908 --> 00:39:45.410
When they caught a young kid,
00:39:45.410 --> 00:39:47.445
He was a 16 or 17-year-old israeli kid.
00:39:47.445 --> 00:39:51.316
They forced him to pound the door
00:39:51.316 --> 00:39:53.451
Of houses and to say: "it's just me, open the door.
00:39:53.451 --> 00:39:55.720
"i need safety."
00:39:55.720 --> 00:39:58.823
Everybody... -where? where? where?
00:39:59.591 --> 00:40:01.493
And when people opened the door,
00:40:01.493 --> 00:40:02.994
They entered and killed everyone in.
00:40:02.994 --> 00:40:04.662
And they took him to the next house.
00:40:04.662 --> 00:40:06.531
Anybody here?
00:40:06.531 --> 00:40:12.937
So you're there, hamas is still in beeri.
00:40:13.738 --> 00:40:16.407
Is in beeri big time.
00:40:16.407 --> 00:40:18.610
And it will take us hours and hours
00:40:18.610 --> 00:40:20.345
To eliminate all the threats,
00:40:20.345 --> 00:40:22.180
To kill all the bad guys, and to start saving life
00:40:22.180 --> 00:40:24.949
While we see the damage of what hamas have done
00:40:24.949 --> 00:40:27.919
When we were not there.
00:40:27.919 --> 00:40:29.287
And i remember not just looking
00:40:29.954 --> 00:40:31.456
At the amount of dead people, civilians.
00:40:31.456 --> 00:40:33.858
I remember i saw an old woman
00:40:33.858 --> 00:40:35.660
And a huge knife next to her.
00:40:35.660 --> 00:40:37.195
She's dead.
00:40:37.195 --> 00:40:38.429
Around a pile of blood and a huge knife.
00:40:38.429 --> 00:40:40.164
I saw a man with a hammer next to him.
00:40:40.164 --> 00:40:43.301
He was killed with a hammer.
00:40:43.301 --> 00:40:45.403
In a few hours,
00:40:45.770 --> 00:40:47.372
How can people create so much damage?
00:40:47.372 --> 00:40:50.108
Physical damage, i mean.
00:40:50.108 --> 00:40:51.876
The amount of hate.
00:40:52.343 --> 00:40:54.145
Of...
00:40:54.145 --> 00:40:55.680
You know, they say that they are
00:40:55.680 --> 00:40:58.449
Very believing muslims.
00:40:58.449 --> 00:41:00.285
God cannot be a part of something like that.
00:41:01.185 --> 00:41:03.955
Not even a chance.
00:41:03.955 --> 00:41:05.890
Things like that happen only in places
00:41:06.724 --> 00:41:08.960
Where god is not there.
00:41:08.960 --> 00:41:14.699
How does it end?
00:41:15.066 --> 00:41:16.134
I mean, you're... -late, late night,
00:41:16.134 --> 00:41:18.403
When i see the army come,
00:41:18.970 --> 00:41:20.171
When i see the army in large forces,
00:41:20.171 --> 00:41:22.473
Much more organized,
00:41:22.473 --> 00:41:24.275
Entering beeri and starting the final liberation parts,
00:41:24.275 --> 00:41:27.979
That's the moment when i'm telling myself,
00:41:27.979 --> 00:41:30.014
Your job here is done.
00:41:30.014 --> 00:41:31.516
You have a company to draft,
00:41:31.516 --> 00:41:33.017
To bring you into the army right now,
00:41:33.017 --> 00:41:35.386
And you need to be in jerusalem.
00:41:35.386 --> 00:41:37.188
So you went back up to jerusalem.
00:41:37.188 --> 00:41:39.791
How does that go when you reconnect
00:41:40.525 --> 00:41:42.927
With your team?
00:41:42.927 --> 00:41:44.762
Are you reprimanded?
00:41:44.762 --> 00:41:46.731
Do you tell them what you just experienced?
00:41:46.731 --> 00:41:49.133
How are you received? -it was bad.
00:41:49.133 --> 00:41:50.435
It was very bad.
00:41:50.435 --> 00:41:51.502
And my commander is shocked
00:41:51.502 --> 00:41:53.771
Looking at me the way i look.
00:41:53.771 --> 00:41:54.973
By the way, he called me all day long,
00:41:54.973 --> 00:41:56.107
Asking me or commanded me to come back.
00:41:56.107 --> 00:41:59.077
And he tells me: "go rest,
00:41:59.077 --> 00:42:01.879
"tomorrow morning we'll decide what we're doing with you."
00:42:01.879 --> 00:42:04.849
And i stopped, i stared into his eyes
00:42:04.849 --> 00:42:06.584
And i told him: "no, no, no."
00:42:06.584 --> 00:42:08.720
If you're about to punish me for what i've done,
00:42:08.720 --> 00:42:11.289
I'm leaving you right now.
00:42:11.289 --> 00:42:13.157
I'm going down back south to continue to help people.
00:42:13.157 --> 00:42:16.194
I came here because this is my job.
00:42:16.194 --> 00:42:18.029
As days went by, i think he realized more.
00:42:18.029 --> 00:42:20.999
That you did the right thing.
00:42:20.999 --> 00:42:22.500
I don't know if he still thinks that i did.
00:42:22.500 --> 00:42:24.369
He's different than i am, but...
00:42:24.369 --> 00:42:26.337
We continued to serve together
00:42:27.038 --> 00:42:28.373
For one more year and then i left.
00:42:28.373 --> 00:42:31.042
I think eventually i was punished
00:42:31.776 --> 00:42:34.879
By not continuing in the same unit
00:42:34.879 --> 00:42:36.681
And by not getting the rank,
00:42:36.681 --> 00:42:42.487
But i don't care.
00:42:42.487 --> 00:42:43.755
I mean, i think i did the right thing.
00:42:43.755 --> 00:42:46.424
I believe with all my heart.
00:42:46.424 --> 00:42:48.292
I thank god that gave me the opportunity to save lives
00:42:48.292 --> 00:42:52.163
And also to be there just to understand, to wake up.
00:42:52.163 --> 00:42:56.300
Today, i'm not asleep.
00:42:56.300 --> 00:42:59.570
I'm not tucking my head in the ground.
00:42:59.570 --> 00:43:02.640
I am very, very aware
00:43:02.640 --> 00:43:05.376
Of the clashes of civilization
00:43:05.376 --> 00:43:08.646
That happens now in the world.
00:43:08.646 --> 00:43:10.682
Talk about your life after october 7th.
00:43:11.516 --> 00:43:14.752
Dealing with the trauma, dealing with what you saw.
00:43:14.752 --> 00:43:18.623
Obviously those memories, those experiences.
00:43:18.623 --> 00:43:21.626
Your family life now.
00:43:21.626 --> 00:43:22.860
How do you process everything you went through
00:43:22.860 --> 00:43:24.862
And what are you doing now?
00:43:24.862 --> 00:43:26.497
I somehow survived
00:43:26.497 --> 00:43:27.932
And now i need to reclaim my life back.
00:43:27.932 --> 00:43:30.568
My passion to life, my family, everything.
00:43:30.568 --> 00:43:34.072
I had to step by step accepting that i'm alive
00:43:34.072 --> 00:43:39.377
And somehow i survived and many didn't.
00:43:39.377 --> 00:43:42.547
And also had to take care of myself emotionally
00:43:42.547 --> 00:43:45.083
With everything that i've seen.
00:43:45.083 --> 00:43:46.718
And to operate as a company commander,
00:43:46.718 --> 00:43:49.120
I have 90 soldiers under me.
00:43:49.120 --> 00:43:51.389
I am their mother, their father, their commander,
00:43:51.389 --> 00:43:53.591
Everything for them in service.
00:43:53.591 --> 00:43:56.194
And i need to operate very, very well
00:43:56.194 --> 00:43:57.729
Because israel is in the face of a huge war.
00:43:57.729 --> 00:44:00.565
And more than everything,
00:44:01.132 --> 00:44:02.867
I channeled all that i've seen on that day
00:44:02.867 --> 00:44:06.104
Into an opportunity to make impact on people.
00:44:06.104 --> 00:44:10.341
I knew that on october 8th,
00:44:10.341 --> 00:44:13.044
The narrative immediately will be set on
00:44:13.044 --> 00:44:15.413
Israel is the one to blame.
00:44:15.413 --> 00:44:17.448
The victim is the one to blame.
00:44:17.448 --> 00:44:18.983
The palestinians are right to stand up
00:44:18.983 --> 00:44:21.452
Against occupation, apartheid.
00:44:21.452 --> 00:44:23.921
Resistance is not terrorism!
00:44:23.921 --> 00:44:27.258
From the river to the sea...
00:44:27.859 --> 00:44:29.894
I had no idea that on october 8th,
00:44:29.894 --> 00:44:31.763
You'll have pro-palestinians on the opera stairs
00:44:31.763 --> 00:44:35.066
In sydney chanting "gas the jews".
00:44:35.066 --> 00:44:36.834
Gas the jews! gas the jews!
00:44:36.834 --> 00:44:39.203
Gas the jews!
00:44:39.203 --> 00:44:40.171
Blaming israel for what?
00:44:40.171 --> 00:44:41.873
For being run over by hamas,
00:44:41.873 --> 00:44:44.809
Through a rampage of hate and murder?
00:44:44.809 --> 00:44:48.479
And i did something smart on that day
00:44:48.479 --> 00:44:51.082
That i didn't tell you, on october 7th.
00:44:51.082 --> 00:44:53.618
With one hand, i held a machine gun and fight
00:44:53.618 --> 00:44:55.753
And with the other, my iphone.
00:44:55.753 --> 00:44:57.188
And i took evidence.
00:44:57.655 --> 00:44:59.457
I took pictures of the dead,
00:44:59.457 --> 00:45:00.858
Of the victims, of the rape.
00:45:00.858 --> 00:45:02.894
And i just, i knew that this is an historical moment
00:45:02.894 --> 00:45:06.931
And i just decided to document everything that i see.
00:45:06.931 --> 00:45:11.269
I think it was a month after,
00:45:11.936 --> 00:45:14.071
My friends and i,
00:45:14.071 --> 00:45:14.906
We had an idea
00:45:14.906 --> 00:45:16.340
To bring the best people
00:45:16.340 --> 00:45:17.942
That are experts on vr... -virtual reality.
00:45:17.942 --> 00:45:19.977
To bring them into israel, virtual reality,
00:45:19.977 --> 00:45:22.313
And to capture the stories of survivors
00:45:22.313 --> 00:45:25.049
From october 7th on vr,
00:45:25.049 --> 00:45:27.952
On the spots that they were,
00:45:27.952 --> 00:45:30.354
And to bring these stories to america.
00:45:30.354 --> 00:45:33.057
To have people in campuses, in colorado,
00:45:33.057 --> 00:45:36.494
In philadelphia, in dallas, wherever you are,
00:45:36.494 --> 00:45:39.363
Sit back in your chair,
00:45:39.363 --> 00:45:41.199
And now for 10 minutes, come back with us to october 7th,
00:45:41.199 --> 00:45:44.769
To kibbutz beeri.
00:45:44.769 --> 00:45:46.170
And this is the be the witness project?
00:45:46.170 --> 00:45:47.839
This is the be the witness, survived to tell project.
00:45:47.839 --> 00:45:50.641
You be the witness.
00:45:50.641 --> 00:45:51.642
Now you'll decide what's going on.
00:45:51.642 --> 00:45:55.880
I had no idea how much this project
00:45:56.681 --> 00:45:58.382
Would have an impact,
00:45:58.382 --> 00:45:59.283
But more than hundreds
00:45:59.283 --> 00:46:01.419
Of thousands of people already have seen it
00:46:01.419 --> 00:46:02.987
Around the world, not just in america.
00:46:02.987 --> 00:46:05.189
We visited close to 500 campuses across america.
00:46:05.189 --> 00:46:08.593
Allow students to judge themselves,
00:46:08.593 --> 00:46:11.429
To see it with their own eyes,
00:46:11.429 --> 00:46:13.164
Because in my belief, my core belief,
00:46:13.164 --> 00:46:15.867
American people and i, we share the same values
00:46:15.867 --> 00:46:19.136
Of faith, of democracy,
00:46:19.637 --> 00:46:21.839
Of love, empathy.
00:46:21.839 --> 00:46:23.708
That's who we are.
00:46:23.708 --> 00:46:25.176
But in front of us,
00:46:25.643 --> 00:46:26.544
What i've seen that hamas
00:46:26.544 --> 00:46:27.545
Has represented,
00:46:27.545 --> 00:46:29.113
They cherish death, destruction.
00:46:29.113 --> 00:46:32.283
Now you need to choose, that was my mantra,
00:46:32.283 --> 00:46:34.719
You as an american need to choose
00:46:34.719 --> 00:46:35.887
Who do you want as your neighbor?
00:46:35.887 --> 00:46:37.455
Hamas cannot exist anymore.
00:46:38.055 --> 00:46:41.025
It's a terror organization that captured the palestinians.
00:46:41.025 --> 00:46:44.528
They deserve better leadership.
00:46:44.528 --> 00:46:48.232
It's embedded in the community, the hate.
00:46:49.133 --> 00:46:51.903
The brainwashing. -the brainwash,
00:46:51.903 --> 00:46:53.337
Not just to israel, to modern life society,
00:46:53.337 --> 00:46:56.474
To western world civilization values.
00:46:56.474 --> 00:46:58.709
That's what they hate.
00:46:58.709 --> 00:46:59.844
Today, it's here in israel,
00:46:59.844 --> 00:47:02.280
But tomorrow it's in your backyard.
00:47:02.280 --> 00:47:06.784
It's already in london, in france,
00:47:06.784 --> 00:47:10.154
And tomorrow it will be in america,
00:47:10.922 --> 00:47:13.925
If we won't stand together against it.
00:47:13.925 --> 00:47:17.728
Nimrod, well said, you are a hero, my friend.
00:47:18.663 --> 00:47:21.332
I don't say that lightly.
00:47:21.332 --> 00:47:22.400
Thank you for everything you did
00:47:22.400 --> 00:47:23.334
On october 7th,
00:47:23.334 --> 00:47:24.268
Everything you've done
00:47:24.268 --> 00:47:25.069
After october 7th.
00:47:25.069 --> 00:47:26.637
We appreciate it. god bless you.
00:47:26.637 --> 00:47:27.972
Thank you very much.
00:47:27.972 --> 00:47:32.576
On october 8th, just one day after the massacre,
00:47:33.544 --> 00:47:36.948
The israeli cabinet formally declared war on hamas.
00:47:36.948 --> 00:47:41.319
Within hours, over 300,000 reservists,
00:47:41.319 --> 00:47:44.522
The largest mobilization in israeli history,
00:47:44.522 --> 00:47:47.792
Were called up and they came.
00:47:47.792 --> 00:47:50.494
Teachers, shopkeepers, tech workers, grandparents,
00:47:50.494 --> 00:47:54.498
Young fathers from across the seas too.
00:47:54.498 --> 00:47:57.802
Every israeli knew this wasn't just a battle.
00:47:57.802 --> 00:48:01.305
This was survival.
00:48:01.305 --> 00:48:03.741
By october 9th, just 48 hours after the invasion,
00:48:03.741 --> 00:48:07.645
The idf had retaken control of every kibbutz,
00:48:07.645 --> 00:48:11.182
Every town and every strategic position
00:48:11.182 --> 00:48:14.218
Hamas had overrun.
00:48:14.218 --> 00:48:15.853
The border was sealed.
00:48:15.853 --> 00:48:17.455
The enemy was pushed back.
00:48:17.455 --> 00:48:19.623
The nation was standing again.
00:48:19.623 --> 00:48:23.861
And that's the story the headlines often forget.
00:48:24.862 --> 00:48:28.299
Not just the horror, but the heroism.
00:48:28.299 --> 00:48:31.502
From elite fighters to 20-year-old tank drivers,
00:48:31.502 --> 00:48:34.805
From reservists to medics,
00:48:34.805 --> 00:48:36.807
From commandos to civilians,
00:48:36.807 --> 00:48:39.276
Israel didn't collapse.
00:48:39.276 --> 00:48:41.479
It rose.
00:48:41.746 --> 00:48:43.114
And this, this was only the beginning.
00:48:43.114 --> 00:48:46.517
Next time, we're going deep into the urban battlefield,
00:48:47.651 --> 00:48:51.222
Into the narrow streets, the dark tunnels,
00:48:51.222 --> 00:48:54.325
And the deadly traps that turned gaza
00:48:54.325 --> 00:48:56.927
Into one of the most horrific and cruel war zones
00:48:56.927 --> 00:49:00.965
In modern history.
00:49:00.965 --> 00:49:02.333
A place built to test the idf's morality
00:49:02.333 --> 00:49:05.436
At every turn.
00:49:05.436 --> 00:49:07.505
We'll hear from the soldiers who fought there,
00:49:07.505 --> 00:49:09.607
Heroes who stood their ground when every inch
00:49:09.607 --> 00:49:12.877
Was a fight for survival.
00:49:12.877 --> 00:49:15.079
And we'll go back to where it all began
00:49:15.079 --> 00:49:17.448
And hear from those who were on the front lines
00:49:17.448 --> 00:49:19.984
Over 20 years ago when the terror first took root.
00:49:19.984 --> 00:49:24.889
We'll hear stories that will connect
00:49:24.889 --> 00:49:26.424
The past to the present
00:49:26.424 --> 00:49:28.592
And reveal the fight that still lies ahead.
00:49:28.592 --> 00:49:28.592

The First Responders | Heroes of October 7th and Beyond

March 20, 2026 | S1 E2 | 49:36

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