Like many, Shahar was awoken that morning by a barrage of rockets in Tel Aviv. He quickly decided to take his gun and new Jeep and drive to the south to help save anyone he could. After witnessing very difficult images that day, he was officially drafted in the reserves to begin training. Due to the surprise of the war, Shahar and his team had only two weeks of reserve training. Their mission was to enter Gaza, eliminate Hamas and bring the hostages home. The fear of the unknown was paralyzing but he knew there was no other choice but to finish the mission.
Their team’s mission was to enter homes of terrorists and remove all weapons and potential threats. Being disconnected from the world was also challenging. The soldiers aren’t allowed to use their phones, there is no access to social media, news or radios – they felt like they were on a different planet.
A day before the first ceasefire Shahar and his team got orders to pull back and post at a building. What they thought was a safe location quickly turned deadly as one of the team members noticed a potential terrorist ambush. The team surrounded the area and began a fierce battle against 6 terrorists. After they eliminated all 6 terrorists, they found that the home the terrorists were staying at was filled with RPGs and explosives.
When Shahar went back to Gaza for another attempt to bring the hostages home, he was met with another encounter against Hamas terrorists. This time the terrorist fired 2 RPG’s which left Shahar and a few or his teammates wounded and in critical condition. Shahar lost consciousness and woke up to chaos. The burning pain from his arm and leg made him think he was on fire, but it was the pain of shrapnel cutting through his body.
Shahar was saved by his teammates and commanders and was evacuated to a safe zone in Gaza where he was attended by medics. He was conscious throughout the entire ordeal and felt every ounce of pain. He will never forget the fear he saw in the eyes of his teammates as they watched him bleed. After a long bumpy ride with the medic team, he felt safer when he heard the voice of a female combat medic who kept him awake and conscious before being evacuated by helicopter to an Israeli hospital. Shahar had two blood transfusions and his left shoulder, arm, and leg were badly injured by shrapnel that remains in his body. He was in a wheelchair for a few weeks and then crutches and now graduated to a cane.
Shahar works hard to achieve a full recovery both mentally and physically. He is very grateful to Beit Halochem for their care and being a safe haven.
He explains that after arriving to Beit Halochem in Tel Aviv, he was able to recover with dignity and support. He does physiotherapy and he has made life long friends and keeps his mindset positive. Shahar credits Beit Halochem for saving him physically and mentally and looks forward to a full recovery.
