Heroes of October 7th and Beyond

Into the Maze of Evil | Heroes of October 7th and Beyond

March 27, 2026 | S1 E3 | 49:36

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

#Israel #War #Terrorism #Violence #Tragedy #Inspirational #Courage #PersonalStory #ErickStakelbeck

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Heroes of October 7th and Beyond | Into the Maze of Evil | Heroes of October 7th and Beyond | March 27, 2026

We couldn't contain the terror
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That was emanating from this place.
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Complete loss of control
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Of the gaza strip. complete.
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On october 27th, israel launched
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A full-scale ground invasion.
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It wasn't that you had
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To pull people out of their homes
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To come serve.
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We're talking about 150% attendance rate.
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But i won't lie to you, it was, of course,
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One of the scariest nights in my life.
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I went through their houses.
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95% of the houses over there
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Supporting hamas,
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While they're using their own people
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As human shields.
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Hamas, on the 7th of october,
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Is an organization bigger and more organized
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Than all of isis.
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Who paid for it?
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And why are the people starving
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When billions of dollars went into building
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The hamas war machine?
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This is a moral code or lack
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Thereof that we can't wrap our heads around.
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How do you fight a war against an enemy
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That doesn't value life?
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Not yours, not theirs.
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A death cult driven by pure evil.
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In the aftermath of october 7th, 2023,
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Israel was about to find out.
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Over two years have passed
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Since that dark day.
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But to understand why this war looks so different
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From all the ones before it,
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You have to rewind to those first days.
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Israel had endured four so-called mini wars
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With hamas.
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Operation cast lead in 2008-2009.
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Pillar of defense in 2012.
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Protective edge in 2014.
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And guardian of the walls in 2021.
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In a country that values life
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And hates losing its sons and daughters in war,
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Israel had avoided full-scale
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Boots-on-the-ground invasions.
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Instead, it lived from attack to attack.
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Ceasefire to ceasefire.
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Absorbing blows, striking back from the air,
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And containing hamas in the hopes of buying quiet.
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But october 7th shattered that cycle.
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This time, the mission wasn't to simply restore calm.
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It was to dismantle hamas, root and branch.
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The idf's invasion began with massive air raids,
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Targeting command centers, rocket launchers,
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And tunnel shafts across the gaza strip.
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And then came the decision
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That marked a turning point,
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To send the idf in on the ground.
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This was uncharted territory in the modern era.
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Israeli troops would have to fight block by block,
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House by house, against an enemy
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That had spent nearly two decades
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Turning gaza into a "booby-trapped"
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Fortress of terror.
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On october 13th, 2023,
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Armored idf units made their first limited ground incursions
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Into gaza, probing defenses and gathering intelligence.
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Two weeks later, on october 27th,
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Israel launched a full-scale ground invasion.
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My fellow fighters,
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Over 100,000 soldiers,
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Infantry, tanks, combat engineers,
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And elite special forces surged into northern gaza.
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Gaza city, khan yunis,
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And eventually, rafah.
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The world said: don't go into rafah.
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Israel went anyway,
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Because without driving into the heart
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Of hamas' operations
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And cutting off the lifeline of rockets
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And contraband flooding through
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The philadelphia corridor on gaza's border with egypt,
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There was no chance to dismantle hamas.
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Israel's intelligence work stunned
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Even seasoned commanders,
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And eventually led to the killing
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Of hamas' elusive leader, yahya sinwar,
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The architect of october 7th.
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Now, despite what the global propaganda machine
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Would have you believe,
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Israel never abandoned its moral code.
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Before strikes, the idf dropped leaflets,
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Made phone calls, and sent text alerts
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Warning civilians to evacuate.
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Hamas, on the other hand, did the opposite.
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They not only refused to protect their own people,
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They ensured that they'd be in danger.
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Hamas embedded rocket launchers in neighborhoods,
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Stored weapons in mosques and schools,
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And forced gaza's civilians to stay in harm's way
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As human shields.
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While israel built a nation
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Where civilians are protected with sirens,
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Reinforced safe rooms, and bomb shelters,
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Hamas built something else.
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A sprawling underground terror tunnel network
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Larger than the new york city subway.
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Above ground, gaza's civilians were left exposed.
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Below ground, hamas leaders sat safe
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In bunkers, directing the fight,
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Sacrificing their own people for propaganda victories.
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The gaza war wasn't just a military campaign,
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It was a test of values.
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And in the months that followed,
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The idf showed that strength and morality
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Are not opposites.
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They're two sides of the same fight.
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Today, mati shoshani is sitting down
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With one of those young idf heroes,
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Elkana cohen,
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A reserve combat officer
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Who was boots on the ground in gaza,
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Staring the enemy in the face
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And seeing its true horrific nature up close.
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Captain elkana cohen,
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But today, just civilian elkana cohen.
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You left the uniform behind for today.
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You're here with us,
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And we're talking about the events
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Of october 7th through the perspective
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And the eyes of someone who fights
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In a very prestigious unit
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In the israeli army,
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And has seen a lot, hundreds of days,
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Of what the war has looked like
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From multiple fronts.
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So first of all, thank you for taking the time
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To come and talk. -thank you for having me.
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It's really a great privilege to be here.
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During my active service,
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I used to serve in "duvdevan".
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For those who watched "fauda",
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This is basically almost the same as what we do.
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"duvdevan", which means "cherry",
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Is very well known for being a unit
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That does things to the edge.
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It's the cream of the crop
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When it comes to counterterrorism,
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And it's the cream of the crop, i think,
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When it comes to the difficulty
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Of the training that goes into it. -yeah.
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I served there as an officer,
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As a team commander.
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I used to be in charge of process combat experience,
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And also in charge of the recruits
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To the elite commando unit.
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But on october 7th,
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I joined my old team that i did the training course with.
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You go into gaza, you're in 551,
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So this is a crack unit that goes
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Ahead of a lot of the other forces.
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And the people of hamas in gaza
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Knew you guys were coming.
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Definitely. -they had already built up
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An entire infrastructure of terrorism and tunnels
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And all that jazz, awaiting the idf.
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Yeah.
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It was crazy.
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We were the first brigade
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To cross the border
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And to start fighting there.
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Usually when we conquer land,
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When you start moving forward,
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You know that your back is safe already.
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But because in gaza they have
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A huge subway city under,
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You can advance forward,
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But then one of the hamas terrorists is showing up
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From a tunnel and shooting towards you.
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One time we went into a house
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After we were scanning and searching
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Hundreds of houses against terrorists
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And tunnels and bombs.
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And we were already exhausted.
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Kalashnikov shots really close
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We were searching the cabinets, the beds,
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But all of my friends were already tired,
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So they lay down on one of the beds there.
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And i was very tired
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And i wanted to also fall asleep.
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But right before i went into gaza,
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My wife told me: "elkana, every time when you feel tired,
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"this is your time to be aware."
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So i think i probably had that in my mind.
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And i opened one of the cabinets
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And i found a doctor's certificate.
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And all of my friends told me: "kuna,
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"you see, he's a doctor.
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"we have nothing to be
00:09:59.878 --> 00:10:00.612
"worried about."
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So i like, all right,
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And i kept searching.
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And i was searching and then i opened
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Another cabinet and i found an ak-47 magazine
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And then i found radios.
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And i told them: "let's stand up
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"and let's try to move
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"one of the heavy beds that was there."
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And when we moved that, we saw two missiles
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Connected into electricity wire that was supposed to explode
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While we were inside this house.
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And we went outside,
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But right before we did it, we put small amount of tnt
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In order to trigger the bomb
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To make sure that no other soldier
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Will go into that house.
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And when we came back to see what left from that house,
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This house was ashes to the ground
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And three houses surrounding was totally destroyed.
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And as someone who cherishes life,
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I didn't understand why people will put bombs
00:10:54.532 --> 00:10:57.569
Inside their house.
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Like, for me, it was crazy
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To understand that there were people that were willing
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To jeopardize their babies, to jeopardize their family,
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You know, to fight someone that they only hate.
00:11:05.543 --> 00:11:14.452
We're gonna find things like ak-47
00:11:15.220 --> 00:11:19.324
Inside a teddy bear.
00:11:19.324 --> 00:11:21.926
Every house that i've been through
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Was full with bombs, rifles.
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And i also saw their math books.
00:11:30.401 --> 00:11:33.671
When we went through the schools,
00:11:34.405 --> 00:11:36.908
We saw books that the math quiz was:
00:11:36.908 --> 00:11:41.546
"if you murder two jews
00:11:41.546 --> 00:11:44.249
"and you have a group of 10, how much do you have left?"
00:11:44.249 --> 00:11:47.986
This is like what they're getting educated
00:11:47.986 --> 00:11:50.655
Since they're born.
00:11:50.655 --> 00:11:57.495
You're describing the homes,
00:11:58.096 --> 00:11:59.464
But the homes are empty at this point, right?
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Most of them, yeah, 95%.
00:12:01.666 --> 00:12:03.234
Where are the people?
00:12:03.234 --> 00:12:05.136
We let them know that we're coming.
00:12:05.870 --> 00:12:08.473
And we tell them where to go
00:12:09.107 --> 00:12:10.742
And we tell them where are their safety zones.
00:12:10.742 --> 00:12:31.362
While we're fighting,
00:12:31.863 --> 00:12:33.398
Out of caring about those civilians,
00:12:33.398 --> 00:12:36.501
While i can tell you that, i went through their houses,
00:12:36.501 --> 00:12:39.504
95% of their houses over there, supporting hamas, no doubt.
00:12:39.504 --> 00:12:43.942
And yet, we're trying to avoid any casualties
00:12:43.942 --> 00:12:47.212
While they're using their own people as human shield.
00:12:47.212 --> 00:12:50.548
Weapons manufacturing between residential homes and schools.
00:12:51.749 --> 00:12:56.788
One time, we needed to conquer a school,
00:12:57.655 --> 00:13:00.792
Full with terrorists and also terror infrastructure.
00:13:00.792 --> 00:13:03.728
But we also knew that that school was full with civilians,
00:13:04.863 --> 00:13:07.932
And we started calling them all out,
00:13:07.932 --> 00:13:09.601
But no one left the area, and we didn't understand why,
00:13:09.601 --> 00:13:11.903
So we used our drones
00:13:11.903 --> 00:13:13.304
In order to scan that school from above.
00:13:13.304 --> 00:13:16.674
And then we saw that there is hamas guards
00:13:17.575 --> 00:13:19.744
Inside that school that didn't let those civilians
00:13:19.744 --> 00:13:21.546
To leave the area.
00:13:21.546 --> 00:13:24.415
One of the kids there,
00:13:24.916 --> 00:13:26.351
From the drone, it seemed like a five year old kid,
00:13:26.351 --> 00:13:28.486
Tried to run away, and one of the hamas guards,
00:13:28.486 --> 00:13:30.555
Without second guessing, took his ak-47
00:13:30.555 --> 00:13:33.091
And killed this kid in front of his mom.
00:13:33.091 --> 00:13:35.627
And in that point, we understand
00:13:36.361 --> 00:13:38.162
That we have to kill those guards,
00:13:38.162 --> 00:13:40.064
Not only for our sake,
00:13:40.064 --> 00:13:41.532
But also for those people's sake.
00:13:41.532 --> 00:13:43.935
Wow. -and one of the hamas terrorists,
00:13:43.935 --> 00:13:47.672
He was holding a baby, just in front of us,
00:13:47.672 --> 00:13:51.542
And behind them was a guy that was holding a camera,
00:13:51.542 --> 00:13:54.212
And just waited for us to take that shot.
00:13:54.212 --> 00:13:56.915
And, of course, we didn't take that shot.
00:13:56.915 --> 00:13:59.751
I put my life on the line.
00:14:00.385 --> 00:14:01.819
He knew exactly where we were.
00:14:01.819 --> 00:14:03.755
They could have aimed any rpg sniper
00:14:03.755 --> 00:14:05.924
That they had towards us.
00:14:05.924 --> 00:14:07.292
And yet, we didn't take that shot,
00:14:07.292 --> 00:14:08.559
Because unlike them,
00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:10.828
You know, we're not killing babies.
00:14:10.828 --> 00:14:14.365
We don't want to be there. we don't want to fight.
00:14:14.365 --> 00:14:18.937
Don't forget that we're trying to look for our people,
00:14:20.038 --> 00:14:22.307
Our brothers and sisters that got kidnapped.
00:14:22.307 --> 00:14:24.742
I remember myself going house to house,
00:14:25.610 --> 00:14:28.279
Looking at the walls,
00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:30.048
Making sure if there is any sign of, like, someone
00:14:30.048 --> 00:14:32.951
Wrote something on the wall, left something behind,
00:14:32.951 --> 00:14:35.820
To see like...
00:14:35.820 --> 00:14:37.588
Tears of blood on the floor.
00:14:38.256 --> 00:14:39.557
I wanted to see something.
00:14:39.557 --> 00:14:41.426
For me, my entire goal was to rescue
00:14:41.426 --> 00:14:44.696
My brothers and sisters.
00:14:44.696 --> 00:14:47.966
And you're losing friends out of good cause,
00:14:48.900 --> 00:14:51.502
Because we're fighting in order to do good things.
00:14:51.502 --> 00:14:54.906
But unfortunately, we lose so many good people.
00:14:55.873 --> 00:15:03.414
One time, we heard an explosion very close to us.
00:15:04.415 --> 00:15:10.488
And i felt that this is like,
00:15:11.155 --> 00:15:13.324
It was 100 meters away,
00:15:13.825 --> 00:15:16.060
And i was on the watch,
00:15:16.561 --> 00:15:18.429
And i heard the radios getting crazy,
00:15:18.429 --> 00:15:21.466
And i gave the radio to one of my friends,
00:15:22.367 --> 00:15:24.202
And i told him: "michaeli, what is going on right now?"
00:15:24.202 --> 00:15:28.706
And then, we understood that we lost
00:15:29.474 --> 00:15:31.476
Two people of our battalion.
00:15:31.476 --> 00:15:36.447
I lost a lot of friends, 28 to be precise.
00:15:37.281 --> 00:15:44.856
You know, when this war started,
00:15:45.556 --> 00:15:47.325
I think a lot of people in israel and outside of israel
00:15:47.325 --> 00:15:49.127
Were concerned about
00:15:49.127 --> 00:15:50.328
How will the xbox, the nintendo...
00:15:50.328 --> 00:15:52.330
Tiktok generation. -tiktok generation,
00:15:52.330 --> 00:15:53.931
How will they deal in a time of war?
00:15:53.931 --> 00:15:56.000
You know, it's so impressive to see
00:15:56.801 --> 00:15:58.269
The fighting spirit that they have in them,
00:15:58.269 --> 00:16:00.338
And it pulled everyone sort of out of their coma,
00:16:00.338 --> 00:16:03.341
And said, hey, wake up, guys,
00:16:03.341 --> 00:16:05.443
We're fighting here for our existence
00:16:05.443 --> 00:16:06.844
Against an evil that wants to destroy us. -yeah.
00:16:06.844 --> 00:16:09.047
I think that as a jewish people,
00:16:09.047 --> 00:16:10.848
We've been through a lot through history.
00:16:10.848 --> 00:16:13.751
And if you'll ask anyone through those times,
00:16:13.751 --> 00:16:16.921
They will tell you the jewish nation
00:16:16.921 --> 00:16:18.923
Probably will be eliminated.
00:16:18.923 --> 00:16:24.328
One of my best friends, his name was eitan.
00:16:25.229 --> 00:16:29.300
He used to sleep in the same room
00:16:29.967 --> 00:16:31.569
In my mechina, in my yeshiva,
00:16:31.569 --> 00:16:34.138
And then he used to serve in my unit,
00:16:34.138 --> 00:16:36.474
And we lost him.
00:16:36.841 --> 00:16:39.077
And when my wife delivered our first baby,
00:16:39.977 --> 00:16:45.817
Both of us decided to call my son after eitan.
00:16:45.817 --> 00:16:49.587
When we see grief, when we see hard times,
00:16:50.455 --> 00:16:54.225
We're not focusing on the hard moment.
00:16:54.225 --> 00:16:56.861
We know them, we know how to deal with them,
00:16:56.861 --> 00:16:59.897
But then immediately we're going into the positive side.
00:16:59.897 --> 00:17:06.637
Because we know that what we do,
00:17:07.338 --> 00:17:09.440
We're doing for the greater good,
00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:11.342
And i think this is who we are.
00:17:11.342 --> 00:17:14.479
We're not looking for a fight.
00:17:14.479 --> 00:17:17.048
We want to stay at home with our families.
00:17:17.048 --> 00:17:23.888
Elkana, thank you. -thank you very much.
00:17:24.755 --> 00:17:32.964
Israel sends its sons and daughters
00:17:33.731 --> 00:17:36.067
Because it must.
00:17:36.067 --> 00:17:37.735
Most just want a quiet life,
00:17:37.735 --> 00:17:40.304
Not a lifelong fight.
00:17:40.304 --> 00:17:42.507
But when called, they go in under a written code,
00:17:42.507 --> 00:17:46.878
The spirit of the idf.
00:17:46.878 --> 00:17:49.213
It begins with four fundamentals:
00:17:49.213 --> 00:17:51.883
Defend the state and its people.
00:17:51.883 --> 00:17:53.951
Love and loyalty to israel.
00:17:53.951 --> 00:17:56.487
Uphold human dignity for every person.
00:17:56.487 --> 00:17:59.724
And serve as the people's army under israel's laws
00:17:59.724 --> 00:18:03.561
And elected government.
00:18:03.561 --> 00:18:05.229
From that foundation flows the field rules:
00:18:05.229 --> 00:18:08.833
Purity of arms.
00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:10.868
Use force only for the mission
00:18:10.868 --> 00:18:13.304
And only as needed.
00:18:13.304 --> 00:18:15.306
And do everything possible to spare uninvolved
00:18:15.306 --> 00:18:18.776
Civilians and prisoners.
00:18:18.776 --> 00:18:21.112
Human life.
00:18:21.112 --> 00:18:22.313
Treat life as precious, even in combat.
00:18:22.313 --> 00:18:26.017
Responsibility, reliability and personal example.
00:18:26.017 --> 00:18:30.655
Tell it straight.
00:18:30.655 --> 00:18:32.356
Own your actions.
00:18:32.356 --> 00:18:34.525
Lead from the front.
00:18:34.525 --> 00:18:36.727
Professionalism and discipline.
00:18:36.727 --> 00:18:39.697
Master your craft and follow only legal orders.
00:18:39.697 --> 00:18:44.669
Comradery,
00:18:44.969 --> 00:18:46.170
Never leave a comrade behind.
00:18:46.170 --> 00:18:48.739
And a sense of mission.
00:18:48.739 --> 00:18:50.641
Serve as a vocation, not a slogan.
00:18:50.641 --> 00:18:54.712
This war has tested that code against an enemy
00:18:54.712 --> 00:18:57.515
With no ethics or values set.
00:18:57.515 --> 00:19:00.585
A death cult that hides among civilians
00:19:00.585 --> 00:19:03.487
While propaganda flips the story upside down.
00:19:03.487 --> 00:19:07.725
Yet the idf standard stands,
00:19:07.725 --> 00:19:10.261
Written, taught and enforced.
00:19:10.261 --> 00:19:14.765
I'm about to meet another young idf hero
00:19:15.600 --> 00:19:18.669
Who embodies this code with every step he takes.
00:19:18.669 --> 00:19:22.573
His name is aaron bours.
00:19:22.573 --> 00:19:27.445
Aaron, it is great to have you with us.
00:19:28.279 --> 00:19:31.015
You've got an incredible story
00:19:31.015 --> 00:19:33.184
Of survival and heroism.
00:19:33.184 --> 00:19:35.653
But before we get into that,
00:19:35.653 --> 00:19:37.455
Take us back to your beginnings. -sure.
00:19:37.455 --> 00:19:40.324
I grew up in great neck, long island.
00:19:40.324 --> 00:19:42.360
My parents fell in love in tel aviv.
00:19:43.127 --> 00:19:46.297
My dad is from holland, my mom is from new york.
00:19:46.297 --> 00:19:49.600
He was on a kibbutz, she was in "ulpan",
00:19:49.600 --> 00:19:51.602
Studying hebrew. -and this was a zionist home.
00:19:51.602 --> 00:19:54.705
Absolutely. -yeah.
00:19:54.705 --> 00:19:55.873
We grew up with love for israel
00:19:55.873 --> 00:19:58.242
And my identity as a quasi-israeli growing up
00:19:58.242 --> 00:20:03.147
Was from that.
00:20:03.147 --> 00:20:05.316
So that fact was in obviously
00:20:05.316 --> 00:20:07.218
To your decision to become a lone soldier.
00:20:07.218 --> 00:20:10.388
Yeah.
00:20:10.621 --> 00:20:11.756
Tell us what a lone soldier is.
00:20:11.756 --> 00:20:13.991
A lone soldier means that you're serving in the idf
00:20:13.991 --> 00:20:16.894
Without your parents physically here in israel.
00:20:16.894 --> 00:20:19.263
There's about 5,000 lone soldiers,
00:20:20.031 --> 00:20:21.999
Give or take, every year in israel.
00:20:21.999 --> 00:20:25.069
They give up whatever luxuries and privileges
00:20:25.069 --> 00:20:28.673
They had in the homes where they grew up,
00:20:28.673 --> 00:20:31.008
And they come here to serve. -it's pretty amazing.
00:20:31.008 --> 00:20:33.144
You left a comfortable life in new york,
00:20:33.144 --> 00:20:34.879
A prosperous place, and you came to israel,
00:20:34.879 --> 00:20:37.148
Where you knew there was a very good chance
00:20:37.148 --> 00:20:38.783
You may see combat and may see action.
00:20:38.783 --> 00:20:41.752
Right.
00:20:41.752 --> 00:20:42.720
I was pursuing a dual degree
00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:44.522
In business and literature
00:20:44.522 --> 00:20:45.756
And that was meant to be the track i was going on.
00:20:45.756 --> 00:20:47.558
And then i just got to the understanding
00:20:47.558 --> 00:20:50.828
That the best way for me
00:20:50.828 --> 00:20:52.763
Was to join the protection of israel, its people,
00:20:52.763 --> 00:20:56.033
The hebrew tribe.
00:20:56.033 --> 00:20:57.702
And you served in the givati brigade,
00:20:57.702 --> 00:20:59.970
Pretty legendary.
00:20:59.970 --> 00:21:00.971
Givati is southern command,
00:21:01.572 --> 00:21:03.407
So anything that happens related to gaza, hamas,
00:21:03.407 --> 00:21:06.310
Usually involves givati.
00:21:06.310 --> 00:21:08.612
And being in the reserves means that at any given notice,
00:21:08.612 --> 00:21:12.616
You are part of a fighting force,
00:21:12.616 --> 00:21:14.051
You're part of a defensive force.
00:21:14.051 --> 00:21:15.653
You drop everything and you go.
00:21:15.653 --> 00:21:17.822
Yeah.
00:21:18.055 --> 00:21:19.390
Everyone's got their back.
00:21:19.390 --> 00:21:21.892
It's pretty amazing to me with reserve duty,
00:21:22.827 --> 00:21:24.829
I mean, guys in their 30s,
00:21:24.829 --> 00:21:26.163
In their 40s, even older, leaving their families,
00:21:26.163 --> 00:21:29.200
Leaving comfortable lives, comfortable jobs,
00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:31.502
And literally going to the front lines.
00:21:31.502 --> 00:21:33.437
Yeah, it wasn't that you had to pull people
00:21:33.437 --> 00:21:35.306
Out of their homes to come serve, right?
00:21:35.306 --> 00:21:37.308
I mean, you're talking about 150% attendance rate.
00:21:37.308 --> 00:21:40.945
You see the fear on a lot of these reservists' faces,
00:21:42.046 --> 00:21:46.450
As we understand kind of the gravity of the situation,
00:21:46.450 --> 00:21:48.919
And you also see the motivation,
00:21:48.919 --> 00:21:51.722
Because of how many were killed, captured,
00:21:51.722 --> 00:21:55.860
Violated in disgusting ways.
00:21:55.860 --> 00:21:58.195
And i had never seen the idf like that.
00:21:58.195 --> 00:22:04.535
Eventually, on october 30th, we went in.
00:22:05.403 --> 00:22:15.992
Eventually, on october 30th, we went in.
00:22:15.992 --> 00:22:18.649
Eventually, on october 30th, we went in.
00:22:19.517 --> 00:22:22.953
Artillery, air force,
00:22:23.454 --> 00:22:25.423
Tank units, "shirion",
00:22:25.923 --> 00:22:27.992
All the elite forces, search and rescue,
00:22:27.992 --> 00:22:30.661
It seemed like everyone was moving in unison.
00:22:30.661 --> 00:22:35.733
We went in on foot,
00:22:36.200 --> 00:22:37.001
It was six kilometers
00:22:37.001 --> 00:22:37.868
To get to beit hanoun,
00:22:37.868 --> 00:22:39.336
That's the north of the gaza strip.
00:22:39.336 --> 00:22:44.642
But i won't lie to you, it was, of course,
00:22:45.509 --> 00:22:46.911
One of the scariest nights of my life.
00:22:46.911 --> 00:22:49.914
Beit hanoun was a mess from the beginning.
00:22:50.815 --> 00:22:54.351
Stop! going left!
00:22:54.852 --> 00:22:57.221
It's a civilization, unfortunately,
00:22:57.221 --> 00:22:59.190
That's bred on the demonization of others
00:22:59.190 --> 00:23:01.325
Versus the perseverance and the prosperity of their own.
00:23:01.325 --> 00:23:05.229
And you feel that in going house to house.
00:23:05.229 --> 00:23:08.599
There's no art on the walls,
00:23:09.266 --> 00:23:10.568
There's no portrait of the family.
00:23:10.568 --> 00:23:13.304
If there's something on the wall,
00:23:14.038 --> 00:23:16.207
It's some kind of framed picture of a martyr
00:23:16.207 --> 00:23:18.843
Who either died trying to
00:23:18.843 --> 00:23:20.711
Or successfully hurting or killing jews.
00:23:20.711 --> 00:23:22.847
And this is kind of a common theme
00:23:23.614 --> 00:23:25.282
As you go through these houses.
00:23:25.282 --> 00:23:28.552
When we find stacks of photos,
00:23:29.253 --> 00:23:30.688
There was always a photo with the men,
00:23:30.688 --> 00:23:33.090
Little kids included, holding ak-47s.
00:23:33.090 --> 00:23:36.760
Just a feeling of violence.
00:23:37.361 --> 00:23:51.175
An understanding of just the visceral nature,
00:23:52.076 --> 00:23:54.278
Unfortunately, of how these kids grow up
00:23:54.278 --> 00:23:55.980
And how quickly they're exposed to weaponry
00:23:55.980 --> 00:23:58.015
And how quickly they're exposed to terrorism.
00:23:58.015 --> 00:24:00.251
A culture of death.
00:24:00.251 --> 00:24:02.119
Yeah.
00:24:02.353 --> 00:24:04.955
In one of the homes we went into,
00:24:05.723 --> 00:24:07.291
There was, in one of the bedroom closets
00:24:07.291 --> 00:24:10.194
Of one of the little girls, there were rocket heads.
00:24:10.194 --> 00:24:16.467
And in one of the kitchens, there was wooden boards,
00:24:17.535 --> 00:24:20.070
When we took them off, there were ak-47s
00:24:20.070 --> 00:24:22.006
And bullets for those ak-47s.
00:24:22.006 --> 00:24:27.478
In school backpacks, we found grenades.
00:24:28.312 --> 00:24:30.281
And it shouldn't have come as a surprise to us
00:24:31.248 --> 00:24:33.150
Or a shock to us, but it did,
00:24:33.150 --> 00:24:35.352
That on the 15th day, there were hamas terrorists
00:24:35.352 --> 00:24:37.521
Hiding inside of an unrwa school,
00:24:37.521 --> 00:24:39.089
Ready to pounce.
00:24:39.089 --> 00:24:41.058
Hiding inside of a u.n. sponsored and funded school.
00:24:42.126 --> 00:24:46.830
And that brings us to your story. -yeah.
00:24:46.830 --> 00:24:50.467
So we're moving house to house,
00:24:51.135 --> 00:24:53.270
Looking for these tunnels, we found six of them.
00:24:53.270 --> 00:24:56.307
And we're tasked with overtaking a home
00:24:57.107 --> 00:24:58.943
Where we believe there might be a tunnel.
00:24:58.943 --> 00:25:01.612
It requires us crossing in front of this unrwa school.
00:25:01.612 --> 00:25:04.915
It's a path of about 150 meters,
00:25:05.649 --> 00:25:09.954
And there was something eerie
00:25:10.588 --> 00:25:12.389
About that morning and about that place.
00:25:12.389 --> 00:25:14.959
I get to the house that we were meant to overtake.
00:25:15.960 --> 00:25:19.196
I get to the entrance of the house
00:25:19.196 --> 00:25:20.998
And turn around to see where my officer is.
00:25:20.998 --> 00:25:22.733
He's about 20 meters, 65 feet from me,
00:25:22.733 --> 00:25:25.769
I hear and i see shots fired from the school.
00:25:25.769 --> 00:25:31.442
I see my officer go down,
00:25:31.976 --> 00:25:34.244
Omri david, he's in really bad shape,
00:25:34.244 --> 00:25:36.814
He's lying on his side.
00:25:36.814 --> 00:25:38.949
But i make a split-second decision
00:25:38.949 --> 00:25:40.384
That if i don't try to get him inside,
00:25:40.384 --> 00:25:42.286
Save his life, he's going to die.
00:25:42.286 --> 00:25:45.623
So i ran out to him, i lift him up over my shoulder,
00:25:46.657 --> 00:25:49.126
I take two to three feet towards the house
00:25:49.126 --> 00:25:51.795
Where our soldiers are to get him back to safety.
00:25:51.795 --> 00:25:54.431
And on that third step, bam! i feel something
00:25:54.431 --> 00:25:58.235
Like a cannonball hit my leg.
00:25:58.235 --> 00:26:00.938
It knocks me down on my face.
00:26:00.938 --> 00:26:03.207
Now i'm on the ground.
00:26:03.707 --> 00:26:05.609
I instantly believed that i lost my leg.
00:26:06.477 --> 00:26:10.114
I couldn't feel anything below my knee.
00:26:10.914 --> 00:26:13.083
If i don't crawl myself back to the house,
00:26:13.083 --> 00:26:15.319
I'm probably going to lose my life.
00:26:15.319 --> 00:26:17.755
So i start to crawl,
00:26:18.222 --> 00:26:19.657
Getting myself out of that situation.
00:26:20.457 --> 00:26:22.826
As i'm crawling, and i'm moving quite fast,
00:26:23.694 --> 00:26:26.363
They're trying to finish the job.
00:26:26.363 --> 00:26:27.598
So there's bullets flying all around me.
00:26:27.598 --> 00:26:30.067
One of those ak-47 bullets strikes my left leg,
00:26:30.067 --> 00:26:33.103
So i get shot in my left leg as well.
00:26:33.103 --> 00:26:35.172
And now i'm just pulling myself from my upper body
00:26:36.206 --> 00:26:38.776
To get to the house.
00:26:38.776 --> 00:26:40.377
And none of our soldiers came out to try to get me,
00:26:40.377 --> 00:26:42.479
Which i'm very happy about,
00:26:42.479 --> 00:26:45.082
Because, you know, with a sniper,
00:26:45.082 --> 00:26:48.485
It's basically a death zone.
00:26:48.485 --> 00:26:49.820
So you start to think about your life
00:26:49.820 --> 00:26:53.724
And it ending.
00:26:53.724 --> 00:26:56.694
But so, yeah, i was able to get back
00:26:57.494 --> 00:26:59.596
Into the house.
00:26:59.596 --> 00:27:02.166
I was evacuated in a hummer
00:27:02.800 --> 00:27:05.235
And then helicopter by 669.
00:27:05.235 --> 00:27:07.237
It's probably the best search and rescue team
00:27:07.237 --> 00:27:08.672
In the world.
00:27:08.672 --> 00:27:11.141
Sure enough, miracles do happen,
00:27:11.875 --> 00:27:14.244
And i woke up at sheba medical center
00:27:14.244 --> 00:27:16.547
And the doctor told me that 99.9% of the time,
00:27:16.547 --> 00:27:21.552
A fragment of the bone or a piece of the bullet
00:27:21.552 --> 00:27:24.555
Will hit an artery and you lose the leg.
00:27:24.555 --> 00:27:26.657
And that didn't happen in my case.
00:27:27.424 --> 00:27:32.096
I was in a wheelchair for the first three months,
00:27:33.130 --> 00:27:35.265
Then i graduated to crutches.
00:27:35.265 --> 00:27:37.701
And then one crutch, then a cane.
00:27:37.701 --> 00:27:39.737
There was also a walker in the middle there.
00:27:40.637 --> 00:27:43.340
So quite a long recovery.
00:27:43.907 --> 00:28:07.931
The volume of people trying to visit injured soldiers
00:28:09.032 --> 00:28:12.636
Trying to cheer us up, support us,
00:28:12.636 --> 00:28:14.738
Was like nothing i've ever seen before.
00:28:15.539 --> 00:28:19.376
Probably an anomaly in any other country in the world.
00:28:19.376 --> 00:28:22.946
The amount of volunteers, of people pouring in
00:28:23.914 --> 00:28:26.683
To give us gifts, to donate money.
00:28:26.683 --> 00:28:29.052
You had doctors flying in from all over the world
00:28:29.052 --> 00:28:31.922
To just provide services, support, care for the soldiers.
00:28:31.922 --> 00:28:35.726
At one point, it was overwhelming,
00:28:35.726 --> 00:28:36.894
I had to lock the door of the room.
00:28:36.894 --> 00:28:38.362
I mean, it was insanity.
00:28:38.362 --> 00:28:41.031
It was beautiful to see.
00:28:41.532 --> 00:28:43.801
It's an amazing country.
00:28:44.301 --> 00:28:46.003
It's an amazing people.
00:28:46.003 --> 00:28:47.938
And yet, we've got this misinformation,
00:28:47.938 --> 00:28:51.275
Disinformation campaign raging around the world.
00:28:51.275 --> 00:28:54.344
Anti-israel sentiment skyrocketing. -yeah.
00:28:54.344 --> 00:28:57.281
Anti-semitism exploding.
00:28:57.281 --> 00:28:59.249
It's a very, very troubling trend.
00:28:59.249 --> 00:29:01.552
And aaron, that's why i think what you're doing now
00:29:01.552 --> 00:29:04.021
Is so important. -yeah.
00:29:04.021 --> 00:29:06.690
So, i've never been super active on social media,
00:29:06.690 --> 00:29:11.161
And i really didn't plan for this at all,
00:29:11.161 --> 00:29:13.964
But after i was injured, people came to interview me.
00:29:13.964 --> 00:29:17.534
I was one of the only native english speakers
00:29:18.468 --> 00:29:21.438
In the ward.
00:29:21.438 --> 00:29:23.373
Many of the gripes of some of the soldiers in gaza
00:29:23.373 --> 00:29:26.643
Is that our lives are put more in danger
00:29:26.643 --> 00:29:29.580
Because of the fact that the idf
00:29:29.580 --> 00:29:31.315
Acts with such restraint.
00:29:31.315 --> 00:29:33.283
A few reporters come and start to kind of
00:29:33.283 --> 00:29:34.985
Air my story and get the word out,
00:29:34.985 --> 00:29:37.087
Right about what had happened to me.
00:29:37.087 --> 00:29:38.956
He was recently shot in both legs,
00:29:38.956 --> 00:29:40.757
While attempting to save one of his officers
00:29:40.757 --> 00:29:43.026
During a firefight.
00:29:43.026 --> 00:29:44.695
My name is aaron bours,
00:29:44.695 --> 00:29:46.363
And i'm a proud, really proud lone soldier in the idf.
00:29:46.363 --> 00:29:50.567
So, being thrust into the limelight
00:29:50.567 --> 00:29:53.237
Because of this story and telling that story
00:29:53.237 --> 00:29:55.606
In synagogues and churches and college campuses,
00:29:55.606 --> 00:29:58.775
I think that's a muscle that i need to flex,
00:29:58.775 --> 00:30:01.979
Not just for my own recovery,
00:30:01.979 --> 00:30:03.213
But also because i just don't think
00:30:03.213 --> 00:30:04.748
There's enough people doing it.
00:30:04.748 --> 00:30:17.694
Good evening, toronto.
00:30:18.195 --> 00:30:19.696
I'm aaron bours, but certainly a different aaron
00:30:19.696 --> 00:30:21.865
From october 7th.
00:30:21.865 --> 00:30:23.533
I battled in gaza, sustained critical injuries...
00:30:23.533 --> 00:30:26.837
The global jihadism is real, and it's growing,
00:30:26.837 --> 00:30:29.306
And it threats freedom, safety, and values.
00:30:29.306 --> 00:30:31.942
So find your maximum point of impact
00:30:31.942 --> 00:30:33.777
And push harder and harder.
00:30:33.777 --> 00:30:35.379
Am yisrael chai!
00:30:35.379 --> 00:30:37.414
My story includes something that i think
00:30:38.248 --> 00:30:40.183
A lot of people still deny to this day,
00:30:40.183 --> 00:30:42.019
Which is that hamas essentially takes schools,
00:30:42.019 --> 00:30:45.489
Hospitals, places of worship,
00:30:45.489 --> 00:30:47.691
And they flip them into what, for them,
00:30:47.691 --> 00:30:49.860
Is applicable to the battlefield.
00:30:49.860 --> 00:30:52.329
This is a moral code or lack thereof
00:30:52.329 --> 00:30:54.598
That we just, you know, we can't wrap our heads around.
00:30:54.598 --> 00:30:59.102
And the idf, it's the opposite.
00:30:59.803 --> 00:31:01.071
There's a strict moral code.
00:31:01.071 --> 00:31:02.272
In fact, that's why the school was standing.
00:31:02.272 --> 00:31:03.907
So this unrwa school where they were shooting at us from,
00:31:03.907 --> 00:31:05.943
There's a reason why it was left intact.
00:31:05.943 --> 00:31:09.680
You know, my officer, omri david,
00:31:10.447 --> 00:31:13.483
May he rest in peace,
00:31:13.483 --> 00:31:15.152
He was killed because of that moral code
00:31:15.152 --> 00:31:17.955
And because of hamas' abuse of that same code.
00:31:17.955 --> 00:31:20.891
And that code is the spirit of the idf, right?
00:31:20.891 --> 00:31:22.993
That's how i knew the idf before i enlisted.
00:31:22.993 --> 00:31:25.095
It's how i knew the idf while i was in active service.
00:31:25.095 --> 00:31:27.297
It's how i've known the idf as a reservist.
00:31:27.297 --> 00:31:29.700
No soldier that i've served with,
00:31:29.700 --> 00:31:32.202
Not a single one, takes any pride or joy
00:31:32.202 --> 00:31:34.738
In the fact that civilians get killed.
00:31:34.738 --> 00:31:36.974
When that happens, it's only by mistake
00:31:37.808 --> 00:31:40.544
Or calculated error.
00:31:40.544 --> 00:31:42.512
And it's because those civilians are put in harm's way by hamas.
00:31:43.747 --> 00:31:49.853
And i do feel for,
00:31:50.287 --> 00:31:52.155
I do feel for that civilian population
00:31:52.990 --> 00:31:55.425
And most of the people i serve with
00:31:55.425 --> 00:31:57.327
Feel for that civilian population.
00:31:57.327 --> 00:32:01.798
The average israeli wants to see peace.
00:32:02.666 --> 00:32:05.402
The average israeli wants to live their lives,
00:32:05.402 --> 00:32:08.372
Provide for their family,
00:32:08.372 --> 00:32:10.073
Pursue a career,
00:32:10.440 --> 00:32:11.775
Protect their homes.
00:32:12.242 --> 00:32:13.577
These are not people that look for war
00:32:14.378 --> 00:32:15.979
Or want to be at war.
00:32:15.979 --> 00:32:17.647
Aaron, thank you for sharing
00:32:18.248 --> 00:32:19.483
Your incredible story of survival,
00:32:19.483 --> 00:32:21.351
A miraculous story of heroism.
00:32:21.351 --> 00:32:23.787
It's been an honor to be with you,
00:32:23.787 --> 00:32:24.955
We can't thank you enough. -thank you.
00:32:24.955 --> 00:32:32.829
When we return,
00:32:33.196 --> 00:32:34.498
We'll dive deeper into how hamas' hellhole
00:32:34.498 --> 00:32:37.667
Took root on israel's border.
00:32:37.667 --> 00:32:40.437
And we'll meet a war hero
00:32:40.437 --> 00:32:42.205
Who served in gaza decades ago
00:32:42.205 --> 00:32:45.075
And saw it all coming.
00:32:45.075 --> 00:32:55.052
So how does a place that's been called
00:32:55.852 --> 00:32:58.121
The world's biggest refugee camp
00:32:58.121 --> 00:33:00.557
Turn into a hardened war zone,
00:33:00.557 --> 00:33:03.627
Stacked with rockets, "booby traps"
00:33:03.627 --> 00:33:06.430
And miles of tunnels?
00:33:06.430 --> 00:33:08.331
Who paid for it and why?
00:33:08.331 --> 00:33:11.601
And moreover, why are the people starving
00:33:12.502 --> 00:33:15.405
When billions of dollars went into building
00:33:15.405 --> 00:33:18.508
The hamas war machine?
00:33:18.508 --> 00:33:25.215
Start here.
00:33:25.549 --> 00:33:26.817
Hamas didn't do this alone.
00:33:26.817 --> 00:33:30.020
It belongs to iran's payroll and playbook.
00:33:30.921 --> 00:33:35.125
Cash, training, weapons designs and doctrine
00:33:35.125 --> 00:33:39.262
Flowing from tehran
00:33:39.262 --> 00:33:41.364
To turn gaza into a forward operating base
00:33:41.364 --> 00:33:45.168
Against israel.
00:33:45.168 --> 00:33:47.237
Layer on years of smuggling through rafah
00:33:48.138 --> 00:33:50.574
And dual use materials diverted underground.
00:33:50.574 --> 00:33:54.244
Concrete that should build homes
00:33:54.978 --> 00:33:57.247
Instead poured into fortifications.
00:33:57.247 --> 00:34:00.684
Pipes that should carry water turned into rocket casings.
00:34:00.684 --> 00:34:05.856
Fiber optics that could connect classrooms
00:34:06.723 --> 00:34:09.993
Strung through command bunkers.
00:34:09.993 --> 00:34:12.529
Above ground you see crowded streets.
00:34:12.529 --> 00:34:14.865
Below, a city within a city
00:34:14.865 --> 00:34:17.901
Built for war.
00:34:17.901 --> 00:34:19.569
How did they get away with it?
00:34:19.569 --> 00:34:21.805
Partly through information warfare
00:34:22.572 --> 00:34:25.075
And an aid ecosystem that hamas learned to exploit.
00:34:25.075 --> 00:34:29.813
Money arrives for civilians but the regime skimmed,
00:34:29.813 --> 00:34:34.518
Taxed and redirected.
00:34:34.518 --> 00:34:36.887
While embedding rocket launchers beside homes,
00:34:36.887 --> 00:34:40.323
Schools and mosques.
00:34:40.323 --> 00:34:42.125
Classrooms taught children to hate.
00:34:42.125 --> 00:34:44.561
Tv programs glorified martyrdom.
00:34:44.561 --> 00:34:47.697
A generation was groomed for conflict.
00:34:47.697 --> 00:34:54.538
Even as militants hid among families
00:34:55.305 --> 00:34:58.241
And dared israel to respond.
00:34:58.241 --> 00:35:02.646
And when israel did,
00:35:03.113 --> 00:35:04.814
The images were weaponized to turn world opinion
00:35:04.814 --> 00:35:08.518
Against the idf's effort to dismantle the hamas machine.
00:35:08.518 --> 00:35:13.557
That brings us to the u.n.
00:35:13.557 --> 00:35:16.326
For years, israeli officials warned that unrwa
00:35:17.260 --> 00:35:20.697
And other un frameworks in gaza had been compromised.
00:35:20.697 --> 00:35:24.834
Structures meant to be neutral
00:35:24.834 --> 00:35:27.170
Were turning into a shield for hamas.
00:35:27.170 --> 00:35:37.414
Warehouses and clinics exploited.
00:35:38.148 --> 00:35:41.218
Schools used for incitement.
00:35:41.218 --> 00:35:44.287
Payrolls and programs infiltrated.
00:35:44.287 --> 00:35:47.290
Billions flowed into gaza over the years.
00:35:48.158 --> 00:35:51.428
Some openly, some under the table.
00:35:51.428 --> 00:35:54.164
Yet ordinary people are left in want
00:35:54.164 --> 00:35:57.167
Because the priority was never bread,
00:35:57.167 --> 00:36:00.003
It was bunkers.
00:36:00.003 --> 00:36:01.771
Hamas poured treasure into tunnels and rockets,
00:36:01.771 --> 00:36:05.742
Then seized and redirected aid,
00:36:05.742 --> 00:36:08.612
Stockpiled fuel underground,
00:36:08.612 --> 00:36:11.715
And positioned itself as protector
00:36:11.715 --> 00:36:14.718
While using civilians as human shields.
00:36:14.718 --> 00:36:18.688
And this strategy has continued
00:36:19.422 --> 00:36:21.891
Throughout the war.
00:36:21.891 --> 00:36:24.928
So yes, there is suffering,
00:36:25.595 --> 00:36:28.164
But it's the predictable outcome of a strategy
00:36:28.164 --> 00:36:31.534
That treats the population as cover,
00:36:31.534 --> 00:36:34.237
Not as citizens to be served.
00:36:34.237 --> 00:36:55.725
I'm sitting down with someone
00:36:56.359 --> 00:36:57.527
Who saw this arc long before the world did.
00:36:57.527 --> 00:37:00.964
Brigadier general amir avivi spent years
00:37:00.964 --> 00:37:04.000
As a senior idf commander in and around gaza.
00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:08.071
More than two decades ago,
00:37:08.638 --> 00:37:10.740
Watching the early stages of this build-up,
00:37:10.740 --> 00:37:13.977
He warned what would happen if gaza was left unchecked.
00:37:13.977 --> 00:37:18.381
And that's exactly what began after the oslo accords,
00:37:19.449 --> 00:37:23.019
The first treaty aimed at resolving
00:37:23.019 --> 00:37:25.255
The israeli-palestinian conflict,
00:37:25.255 --> 00:37:27.424
Signed in 1993.
00:37:27.424 --> 00:37:30.060
Under this agreement, israel handed over control
00:37:30.060 --> 00:37:33.396
Of the palestinian areas in gaza
00:37:33.396 --> 00:37:35.565
To the newly formed palestinian authority,
00:37:35.565 --> 00:37:38.835
Hoping it would finally lead to peace.
00:37:38.835 --> 00:37:42.372
At that time, israelis and palestinians
00:37:43.239 --> 00:37:46.042
Were still living side by side in gaza,
00:37:46.042 --> 00:37:49.212
Under israel's control,
00:37:49.212 --> 00:37:51.147
Sharing the same roads and daily spaces.
00:37:51.147 --> 00:37:55.485
General avivi, it is always great to see you.
00:37:56.453 --> 00:37:59.456
And really for the times we are living in,
00:37:59.456 --> 00:38:01.257
You are the man who has the insights
00:38:01.257 --> 00:38:03.626
On everything happening right now
00:38:03.626 --> 00:38:05.061
In the region.
00:38:05.061 --> 00:38:06.429
You spent 30 years in the idf.
00:38:06.429 --> 00:38:08.598
You spent time in gaza, general.
00:38:08.598 --> 00:38:10.934
So you know, actually,
00:38:11.434 --> 00:38:12.435
The first time i arrived to gaza
00:38:12.435 --> 00:38:14.104
Was in 1997.
00:38:14.104 --> 00:38:16.573
But as you know, in 1994,
00:38:16.573 --> 00:38:18.508
Oslo was implemented
00:38:18.508 --> 00:38:20.377
And this changed everything.
00:38:20.377 --> 00:38:23.346
We handed the cities in gaza
00:38:24.013 --> 00:38:26.249
To the palestinian authority.
00:38:26.249 --> 00:38:29.152
We said, okay, you guys, you manage the cities,
00:38:29.152 --> 00:38:32.021
We are not going in anymore.
00:38:32.021 --> 00:38:34.758
Two years later, 1996,
00:38:35.258 --> 00:38:37.327
They launched a huge attack on us
00:38:37.327 --> 00:38:39.262
With the weapons we gave them.
00:38:39.262 --> 00:38:44.701
From the six-day war all the way to the early 90s,
00:38:45.735 --> 00:38:49.105
Gaza was a non-issue.
00:38:49.105 --> 00:38:51.875
And suddenly, in two years,
00:38:52.542 --> 00:38:54.477
From 1994 to 1996,
00:38:54.477 --> 00:38:56.679
Everything changed in the gaza strip.
00:38:56.679 --> 00:38:59.883
And i find myself in 1997
00:39:00.483 --> 00:39:02.218
Arriving to be the combat engineer officer
00:39:02.218 --> 00:39:05.288
Of the gaza strip division,
00:39:05.288 --> 00:39:07.056
And i'm shocked
00:39:07.424 --> 00:39:08.324
Because it turns out
00:39:08.324 --> 00:39:10.126
That a minute, a minute after we left the cities in oslo,
00:39:10.126 --> 00:39:14.731
And among other things we left rafah,
00:39:14.731 --> 00:39:17.634
Immediately they started digging tunnels
00:39:17.634 --> 00:39:21.337
From the gazan side of rafah
00:39:21.337 --> 00:39:23.440
To the egyptian side of rafah.
00:39:23.440 --> 00:39:26.009
And in two years, we found 35 tunnels
00:39:26.009 --> 00:39:29.446
On the philadelphia corridor.
00:39:29.446 --> 00:39:32.081
1994, oslo was implemented.
00:39:32.682 --> 00:39:36.986
2001, the first rockets were shot on the city of sderot.
00:39:36.986 --> 00:39:40.824
Seven years from stones to rockets.
00:39:40.824 --> 00:39:45.128
It took them seven years
00:39:45.728 --> 00:39:48.097
To move from the stone age, literally,
00:39:48.097 --> 00:39:51.568
To shooting rockets on israel.
00:39:51.568 --> 00:39:55.705
And we couldn't contain the terror
00:39:56.439 --> 00:39:58.942
That was emanating from this place.
00:39:58.942 --> 00:40:02.111
And unfortunately, ten years after oslo,
00:40:02.979 --> 00:40:06.850
Complete loss of control of the gaza strip.
00:40:06.850 --> 00:40:10.453
Complete.
00:40:10.453 --> 00:40:13.456
Did you see iranian influence even back then?
00:40:14.390 --> 00:40:17.660
Definitely.
00:40:17.994 --> 00:40:19.662
At a certain point, i was the deputy
00:40:19.662 --> 00:40:21.731
Of the corps of combat engineers,
00:40:21.731 --> 00:40:24.067
And we were dealing with the issue
00:40:24.067 --> 00:40:25.835
Of improvised explosive devices.
00:40:25.835 --> 00:40:28.104
And at that time,
00:40:28.538 --> 00:40:29.973
The u.s. had many casualties in iraq,
00:40:29.973 --> 00:40:33.476
So we had many meetings, professional meetings,
00:40:33.476 --> 00:40:36.112
Trying to understand, you know,
00:40:36.112 --> 00:40:37.347
This phenomenon of ieds.
00:40:37.347 --> 00:40:39.582
And it didn't take a long time to understand
00:40:39.582 --> 00:40:43.086
That what the u.s. was dealing with in iraq,
00:40:43.086 --> 00:40:47.090
What was happening in lebanon,
00:40:47.790 --> 00:40:50.026
The ieds in gaza were all the same, all iranian.
00:40:50.026 --> 00:40:54.631
All iranian know-how.
00:40:54.631 --> 00:40:56.966
In the year 2000, the second intifada,
00:40:57.767 --> 00:41:00.169
Between 2000 to 2002,
00:41:00.169 --> 00:41:02.705
They murdered more than 1,400 israelis.
00:41:02.705 --> 00:41:06.376
Endless amount of attacks of suicide bombers.
00:41:07.343 --> 00:41:12.582
And we won decisively against them
00:41:13.349 --> 00:41:16.419
In operation defensive shield.
00:41:16.419 --> 00:41:17.687
And then the logical thing to do
00:41:17.687 --> 00:41:19.622
Was to take the army, go to gaza,
00:41:19.622 --> 00:41:22.492
And get it over with, you know,
00:41:22.492 --> 00:41:23.626
Dismantle this terror infrastructure.
00:41:23.626 --> 00:41:25.995
Instead of that, one day the chief of staff and i
00:41:25.995 --> 00:41:28.932
Were sitting, and the secretary comes in and says:
00:41:28.932 --> 00:41:32.468
"open the tv, you need to see this."
00:41:32.468 --> 00:41:34.837
We opened the tv, we see prime minister sharon saying:
00:41:34.837 --> 00:41:37.907
"i decided to pull out of gaza."
00:41:37.907 --> 00:41:51.821
He didn't consult with the army,
00:41:52.522 --> 00:41:54.057
Not with the ministry of defense,
00:41:54.057 --> 00:41:56.326
And the chief of staff says to him:
00:41:56.326 --> 00:41:58.294
"mr. prime minister, if you pull out of gaza
00:41:58.294 --> 00:42:00.630
"like that, in the middle of a war,
00:42:00.630 --> 00:42:02.665
"you know, in one year, one year
00:42:02.665 --> 00:42:05.068
"gaza will become hamastan, al-qaedastan and hezbollahstan.
00:42:05.068 --> 00:42:08.805
"this is what's going to happen."
00:42:08.805 --> 00:42:11.341
You know, he decided to move forward with his plans,
00:42:12.375 --> 00:42:16.346
And one year later, hamas took over,
00:42:17.113 --> 00:42:20.183
Threw the palestinian authority,
00:42:20.883 --> 00:42:23.052
Which were also terrible, okay,
00:42:23.052 --> 00:42:25.121
But they threw them from the roofs.
00:42:25.121 --> 00:42:28.658
And then, with weapons and capabilities
00:42:29.459 --> 00:42:32.528
That were pouring from egypt into gaza,
00:42:32.528 --> 00:42:35.231
With a lot of iranian know-how and specialists,
00:42:35.231 --> 00:42:38.067
They built a whole city underground,
00:42:38.067 --> 00:42:41.170
A city of tunnels, hundreds and hundreds of miles,
00:42:41.170 --> 00:42:44.907
Which are like whole buildings underground,
00:42:44.907 --> 00:42:47.844
And they created a reality
00:42:48.411 --> 00:42:50.480
That the biggest strengths of israel and the idf
00:42:50.480 --> 00:42:54.083
Was not relevant anymore.
00:42:54.083 --> 00:42:55.551
You couldn't hit them with the air force,
00:42:56.452 --> 00:42:59.122
Because it was all underground, but also,
00:42:59.122 --> 00:43:02.025
You know, inside hospitals and schools and kindergartens,
00:43:02.025 --> 00:43:05.395
It's not something you can hit,
00:43:06.095 --> 00:43:07.964
And because everything was done underground,
00:43:07.964 --> 00:43:10.967
Also no intelligence.
00:43:10.967 --> 00:43:13.302
And this is how they built a huge army.
00:43:13.302 --> 00:43:15.138
You know, hamas, on the 7th of october,
00:43:15.138 --> 00:43:17.407
Is an organization bigger and more organized
00:43:17.407 --> 00:43:21.010
Than all of isis.
00:43:21.010 --> 00:43:22.912
All of isis that was fought by an international coalition
00:43:22.912 --> 00:43:26.683
For years, hamas was bigger and stronger
00:43:26.683 --> 00:43:29.986
And more organized and more equipped.
00:43:29.986 --> 00:43:32.622
You've been warning for years -
00:43:33.356 --> 00:43:34.991
They're planning, they're planning something,
00:43:34.991 --> 00:43:37.360
Something big is coming.
00:43:37.360 --> 00:43:39.529
How did hamas get to the point
00:43:39.529 --> 00:43:40.997
Where it's able to pull this off
00:43:40.997 --> 00:43:43.332
On october 7th?
00:43:43.332 --> 00:43:44.600
You know, when i retired, after 30 years of service,
00:43:45.635 --> 00:43:48.404
I felt, you know, like a deep sense
00:43:48.404 --> 00:43:51.507
Of existential threat.
00:43:51.507 --> 00:43:55.611
So five years ago, i decided to found idsf,
00:43:56.479 --> 00:44:00.149
Israel's defense and security forum,
00:44:00.149 --> 00:44:01.751
Which is a combination of a grassroots movement
00:44:01.751 --> 00:44:04.287
And think tank,
00:44:04.287 --> 00:44:05.688
And i can tell you that two years before the war,
00:44:05.688 --> 00:44:08.024
Some of the leading generals called me and said:
00:44:08.024 --> 00:44:10.460
"war is imminent. we are going to a multi-front war,
00:44:10.460 --> 00:44:14.630
"and we have only two choices,
00:44:14.630 --> 00:44:16.866
"or six-day war scenario, or yom kippur scenario.
00:44:16.866 --> 00:44:20.069
"we need to choose.
00:44:20.069 --> 00:44:21.537
"it's either we are proactive and we attack first,
00:44:21.537 --> 00:44:24.307
"or they are going to attack us and it's going to be
00:44:24.307 --> 00:44:26.642
"a complete surprise."
00:44:26.642 --> 00:44:28.678
On the cover of this assessment,
00:44:29.412 --> 00:44:31.614
We put a picture of a frog being boiled in a pot.
00:44:31.614 --> 00:44:34.617
And we said, this is israel.
00:44:35.251 --> 00:44:37.053
And if we don't do something,
00:44:37.687 --> 00:44:39.088
This frog is going to die, you know.
00:44:39.088 --> 00:44:41.524
And we presented it to the former government,
00:44:41.524 --> 00:44:43.826
To netanyahu when he was in the opposition,
00:44:43.826 --> 00:44:46.562
To the president of israel,
00:44:46.562 --> 00:44:48.131
To the head of mossad,
00:44:48.131 --> 00:44:49.398
And what we saw is they are not listening.
00:44:50.266 --> 00:45:10.586
They were thinking,
00:45:11.053 --> 00:45:12.855
If we just postpone the war more,
00:45:13.623 --> 00:45:17.160
Eventually all our enemies will collapse.
00:45:17.160 --> 00:45:20.029
While israel was thriving,
00:45:20.596 --> 00:45:22.231
The economy was blooming, you know.
00:45:22.231 --> 00:45:24.801
They embraced the american way of thinking
00:45:24.801 --> 00:45:27.637
About how america dealt with ussr,
00:45:27.637 --> 00:45:29.972
The idea of containment. -yeah.
00:45:29.972 --> 00:45:32.208
Ussr collapsed without one bullet being shot at them.
00:45:32.208 --> 00:45:35.011
And we said, guys, it's not going to happen.
00:45:35.011 --> 00:45:36.779
They are going to attack first.
00:45:36.779 --> 00:45:39.482
So, on the 7th of october,
00:45:40.049 --> 00:45:43.486
As devastating as this was, this terrible day,
00:45:43.486 --> 00:45:47.356
On the 7th of october, something else happened also.
00:45:48.391 --> 00:45:51.427
This frog jumped out of the pot.
00:45:51.427 --> 00:45:54.530
It's not there anymore.
00:45:54.530 --> 00:45:58.267
And it gave us a big, big opportunity
00:45:59.068 --> 00:46:01.771
To change and to end our fate.
00:46:01.771 --> 00:46:05.107
And this is the message we conveyed
00:46:05.107 --> 00:46:06.509
To the prime minister.
00:46:06.509 --> 00:46:07.543
We said: "mr. prime minister, yes,
00:46:07.543 --> 00:46:09.779
"terrible, really, what happened to us,
00:46:09.779 --> 00:46:13.049
"but this is your moment
00:46:13.049 --> 00:46:15.151
"to take advantage of a terrible crisis
00:46:15.151 --> 00:46:17.320
"and lead us to total victory."
00:46:17.320 --> 00:46:21.390
From there, we are going to move
00:46:22.124 --> 00:46:24.627
To regional and global peace agreements,
00:46:24.627 --> 00:46:27.263
Normalizing relations with saudi arabia, with indonesia,
00:46:27.263 --> 00:46:30.166
Malaysia, possibly even countries like lebanon,
00:46:30.166 --> 00:46:33.669
Maybe syria, who knows.
00:46:33.669 --> 00:46:34.937
What should gaza look like, general?
00:46:34.937 --> 00:46:36.505
The government has said it from day one.
00:46:37.373 --> 00:46:39.642
The day after hamas, there will be no hamas,
00:46:39.642 --> 00:46:41.477
No palestinian-islamic jihad,
00:46:41.477 --> 00:46:43.479
And also not the palestinian authority.
00:46:43.479 --> 00:46:45.481
There will be some kind of cantonization of gaza,
00:46:46.482 --> 00:46:50.853
Local leadership based on the local clans,
00:46:50.853 --> 00:46:54.056
On the families.
00:46:54.056 --> 00:46:55.458
So we have to complete the demilitarization of gaza
00:46:56.492 --> 00:47:01.364
And also changing the basic education,
00:47:01.364 --> 00:47:05.935
You know, from jihadist education
00:47:05.935 --> 00:47:09.138
To people who actually want to coexist.
00:47:09.138 --> 00:47:15.111
Fighting for the west, for the entire free world,
00:47:16.112 --> 00:47:19.548
That's what israel is doing, that's what you're doing.
00:47:19.548 --> 00:47:21.684
General, thank you so much.
00:47:21.684 --> 00:47:22.618
We appreciate it. god bless.
00:47:22.618 --> 00:47:23.853
My pleasure. thank you very much.
00:47:23.853 --> 00:47:29.292
In this war, israel has had to change its playbook.
00:47:30.326 --> 00:47:34.263
Survival can't hinge on headlines or hashtags.
00:47:34.263 --> 00:47:38.434
The idf is fighting to win,
00:47:38.434 --> 00:47:40.836
Not to be liked,
00:47:40.836 --> 00:47:42.071
Because for a nation surrounded by enemies
00:47:42.071 --> 00:47:44.941
Staying alive is the only metric that matters.
00:47:44.941 --> 00:47:48.444
This is a country that has blessed the world
00:47:48.444 --> 00:47:51.414
Medicine, water tech, cyber security,
00:47:51.414 --> 00:47:54.583
Disaster relief, a peace-loving nation
00:47:54.583 --> 00:47:57.420
That would rather heal than fight.
00:47:57.420 --> 00:48:00.356
But when evil targets your children
00:48:00.356 --> 00:48:02.825
And hides behind its own, you face a hard truth.
00:48:02.825 --> 00:48:07.029
Sometimes you must be tough to be merciful.
00:48:07.029 --> 00:48:10.833
Firm now to spare greater suffering later.
00:48:10.833 --> 00:48:15.471
And here's the larger issue:
00:48:16.072 --> 00:48:18.507
Hamas didn't act in a vacuum.
00:48:18.507 --> 00:48:21.410
The iranian regime bankrolled, trained,
00:48:22.244 --> 00:48:25.614
And guided the machine in gaza.
00:48:25.614 --> 00:48:28.651
And as the war unfolded,
00:48:29.151 --> 00:48:31.020
The pattern snapped into focus.
00:48:31.020 --> 00:48:33.889
Tehran has been building a ring of fire
00:48:33.889 --> 00:48:36.792
Around israel, gaza to the south,
00:48:36.792 --> 00:48:39.495
Hezbollah to the north, militias in syria and iraq,
00:48:39.495 --> 00:48:43.566
Proxies in yemen,
00:48:43.566 --> 00:48:45.267
An iranian-backed ring of fire
00:48:45.267 --> 00:48:47.970
Aimed at a long war of attrition.
00:48:47.970 --> 00:48:50.840
Bleeding israel day by day,
00:48:51.474 --> 00:48:53.843
Rocket by rocket, hostage by hostage.
00:48:53.843 --> 00:48:57.646
Hoping time and world opinion would do what armies couldn't.
00:48:58.848 --> 00:49:03.753
Those are the stakes.
00:49:03.753 --> 00:49:05.521
Israel hasn't just been fighting a terror group,
00:49:05.521 --> 00:49:08.724
It's been confronting the architects behind it.
00:49:08.724 --> 00:49:12.261
Next time we zoom out to the northern front.
00:49:12.261 --> 00:49:15.865
Hezbollah, iran's strongest proxy,
00:49:16.599 --> 00:49:19.568
Battle-hardened, heavily armed,
00:49:19.568 --> 00:49:21.904
Join the fight against israel just one day
00:49:21.904 --> 00:49:25.007
After the october 7th attack.
00:49:25.007 --> 00:49:27.243
We'll break down their arsenal, their strategy,
00:49:27.243 --> 00:49:30.112
And the choices israel faced
00:49:30.112 --> 00:49:32.515
To keep the north from exploding.
00:49:32.515 --> 00:49:35.317
Stay with us.
00:49:35.317 --> 00:49:35.317

Into the Maze of Evil | Heroes of October 7th and Beyond

March 27, 2026 | S1 E3 | 49:36

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