Soldiers evacuated wounded comrades after attack
Photo: AP
Injured soldier recounts attack
Roee, the fourth soldier in tank attacked at Kerem Hashalom, is recovering in hospital. He only learned of death of his two comrades this morning
The attack by terrorists near Kerem Shalom focused on the tank at the IDF post. Hanan Barak and Pavel Slocker were killed in the attack, and Gilad Shalit was kidnapped. A fourth soldier in the tank, Roee, was injured by hostile fire, and taken to the Soroka hospital in Beer Sheva. This morning, while lying in a hospital bed in the surgical department, Roee said he remembered nothing from the attack except "two explosions."
Roee arrived at hospital on Monday suffering from smoke inhalation and a head injury. This morning, the medical staff at the hospital stabilized his condition, which has improved faster than expected, according to hospital staff.
Family members from Lod have arrived at Roee's bedside – his mother, two brothers, and uncles, who have undergone a nerve-wracking 24 hours since receiving news of his injury.
Roee's mother, Shula, told Ynet on the difficult morning she experienced on Monday: "Only at a quarter to nine (two hours after the incident), the city's officer told me that Roee was hit. The moment I saw the officer. I managed to shout 'Roee Roee,' because for me, when the city officer comes to your home, it can only mean death. He told me 'I haven't told you anything and you're already shouting, calm down. Your son is hospitalized in critical condition, but I thought he was lying to me, I didn't think he was telling me the truth."
Roee himself only received the bitter news of the death of his comrades in the tank crew this morning, and sent his condolences to their families via the brigadier commander.
It is difficult for him to breath, but every time he hears the names of his crew members he bursts into tears.
"It hurts us about his friends because we knew them well," said Shula. "They were like half a family and they went through so much together."
