The Egoz Unit was among the first to be deployed to southern Israel on October 7. "That day, I was supposed to fly on a mission to the U.S.," says Captain Dr. G., the unit's medic, who was one of the first to arrive at the Kissufim outpost along with the unit commander. "When I heard the initial alerts about terrorists infiltrating, I quickly gathered my equipment and headed south."
During the first day of the war, Captain Dr. G. treated 37 wounded, both civilians and soldiers, under fire, saving their lives. One of the most significant moments for him was when he heard the radio report about the grave injury of the unit commander, Lt. Col. M.
"They evacuated him in an armored vehicle, and when I opened it to assess his condition, I thought he was dead," he recalls. "His injury was extremely severe, and we decided to start surgery in the field. I managed to stabilize him, and he was flown by a 669 helicopter to Soroka Medical Center. It was one of the most critical injuries I’ve ever treated."
Dr. G. has treated casualties under fire before, but "I've never encountered such intensity and numbers," he says. "You operate on autopilot. Rockets were falling just 50 meters from us, and there was no time to think about yourself or process what was happening. The goal is to do as much as possible in as little time as possible, to save as many lives as you can."
Captain Dr. Y., a physician with the Duvdevan Unit, was on his way to Kfar Aza when he encountered the horrific scenes and realized it was an "unprecedented event, something we were not prepared for." The first person Dr. Y. treated was a severely wounded police officer, marking the beginning of two days of evacuating the injured under fire, stabilizing them and transporting them to the hospital.
"There were many complex rescues," he recalls. "We rescued a member of the emergency response team from a roof through an attic and an injured reservist lying on the grass in a kill zone, surrounded by armored vehicles. Decisions were made with limited resources, and we had to consider the broader picture, knowing that using equipment for one injured person could prevent treatment for another."
One of the moments that will stay with Dr. Y. was treating his best friend from the unit, who was critically wounded and later died from his injuries. "It was incredibly difficult," he says. "We always trained for mass-casualty events, but the human mind couldn't conceive of something as devastating as what happened. But one thing that helps me cope is knowing that we truly saved lives, and there were very significant moments of light during the fighting. After seven years of studies and more years of training, we always talked about saving lives on the battlefield, and suddenly, it was real."
After the first days of fighting, Dr. Y. and other military doctors trained with senior medical professionals in Israel. "I can say with certainty that we are more prepared now than we were before. Protecting soldiers and civilians is the essence of the job," he says. "Every soldier in the field needs to know that there’s a medic behind him who will take care of him when needed, and I try to give them that push forward—that no matter what happens, we will win."
Captain Dr. D., a physician with the Maglan Unit, was deployed on October 7's morning to the Nahal Oz sector, where he stayed with the unit for three days, treating the wounded and helping clear the area of terrorists.
"In the morning, I was conducting reserve call-ups when I started getting calls from soldiers in the field about the wounded," he recalls. "I handed off the call-ups to another team and headed out. Every time we encountered a wounded person, we stopped and treated them. When we arrived at Nahal Oz, the mission was to retake it. The main challenge was evacuating the wounded."
After clearing the kibbutz, the forces began going house to house to evacuate residents and take them to gathering points. "They were terrified after what they had been through, but seeing the soldiers gave them strength. Together with a Givati reconnaissance unit, we did everything we could to calm them and be there for them," Dr. D. says.
What stands out most in his memory is the spirit of unity and determination. "On my way to the unit, I picked up my deputy, who reported that reserve duty attendance was at 100%, and even those who weren't called up tried to get there as quickly as possible to help. There were paramedics and doctors over 50, and even those who were abroad and immediately notified that they were coming. It was very touching and showed our strength. Beyond that, I have a deep personal love for Gaza border towns. It’s the most beautiful area in Israel, and seeing it after the horrors, burned and battered, is heartbreaking."