Daniel (alias) is a soldier in an elite IDF unit who lives in central Israel, and at 7:10 in the morning of October 7, was called to his unit. Upon arrival, he sent a message to his wife: "Heading out on a mission, love you all, hoping everything will be over by tonight." However, as he soared in a helicopter towards the Gaza periphery and observed the unfolding events from above, he realized it wouldn't end so quickly. "We saw smoke mushrooms, missiles falling incessantly, and the helicopter constantly changing angles, flying at an extremely low altitude, just like in war movies," he recounts.
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After landing, he engaged in combat and rescue of residents barricaded in bomb shelters in their homes. Two terrorists hiding in the vegetation fired at him from behind, injuring him. He fell to the ground, losing a considerable amount of blood.
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The elite IDF soldier participating in the event organized by Haredi businessman Daniel Hagar
(Photo: Itzik Cohen)
"I shouted for help; the terrorist kept shooting in my direction, and I understood that there was no one to rescue me," he recalls. "I felt like I was moments away from death. I said to myself Shema Yisrael, and spoke to God saying, 'I'm okay with it, it's not my destiny to live, but my wife is righteous, so why should this happen to her?'"
After a few minutes, a military vehicle arrived with soldiers who successfully extricated him under fire. He received initial medical treatment and was evacuated unconscious to a hospital, where he underwent complex surgery.
Over the past weekend, he and his family stayed at the Dan Tel Aviv hotel, part of the "Eshet Chayal" project initiated by the Haredi businessman David Hagar. Hagar is one of the major supporters of the 'Netzah Yehuda' association, which hosts families of soldiers to strengthen the home front. The injured soldier shared that he anticipates a lengthy recovery. "I envy the guys fighting in Gaza right now," he said. "I feel like I should be there, they put a hyperactive man in a wheelchair."
David Hagar remarked, "For two decades, I've been supporting Haredi soldiers through the 'Netzah Yehuda' association. I understand that for us to have a strong army, we need a stronger home front, so we provide families of soldiers with a few days of respite. It strengthens them and directly impacts the soldiers in the field."