"This is what I have left of my service," says David Revayev, 22, holding a Sony camera that accompanied him throughout his military service as a combat photographer for the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.
Even when examining it up close, it’s hard to believe this camera was with him when he was severely injured during fighting in Gaza. Aside from a few scratches on the lens, there’s no sign of the anti-tank missile hit that led to his eight-month recovery and the amputation of his right leg.
Footage captured by David Revayev before his injury
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The first time we met David was in February, just two months after his injury. We spoke while he was lying in his room at Sheba Medical Center, recounting stories about Maayan Mulla, the combat engineering officer injured alongside him, the close friends from the combat photography unit who visited his bedside every Friday — even before he regained consciousness — and his camera, waiting for him back at the unit.
Back then, he refused to estimate when his recovery would end. "I still have a long way to go,” he said, Today, we meet again — this time, with a prosthetic leg and his camera in hand.
David was born in Uzbekistan and made aliyah to Israel at age four with his mother and brother. He didn’t study photography before enlisting but had a knack for acting in front of the camera. His personal preferences, combined with his combat profile, led him to join the combat photography unit of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.
Over four months, he trained alongside five female and 12 male photographers, completing a combat training course before moving on to a four-month public relations and photography course: "I discovered the role and fell in love with it."
Between his enlistment in November 2021 and the outbreak of the war, David captured unforgettable moments — from missions beyond Israel’s borders to operations with soldiers in the West Bank. He remembers them all vividly and carefully guards the photographs. Some of them may have even reached wide audiences, as they were published in various media outlets.
'All I could do was hope'
Then came the last year of his service — and October 7, 2023. David documented the fighting forces near the Gaza border until the ground operation began. "We saw horrors there," he recalls. "I was impressed by the determined soldiers beside me, constantly on high alert and driven by a clear sense of purpose. It was contagious — it swept me along with them."
"You don’t process anything at that moment. One moment, you’re running, and the next, you’re trying to get up but can’t. I couldn’t feel my legs at all. My body felt hot. In the midst of gunfire, lying completely exposed in the open, all I could do was hope for the best — that the unit would take care of me and that the terrorist wouldn’t come to finish me off."
On December 12, while on their way to demolish a building, David’s unit was hit by an anti-tank missile. "You don’t process anything at that moment. One moment, you’re running, and the next, you’re trying to get up but can’t. I couldn’t feel my legs at all. My body felt hot.
“In the midst of gunfire, lying completely exposed in the open, all I could do was hope for the best — that the unit would take care of me and that the terrorist wouldn’t come to finish me off."
In the incident, Staff Sgt. Oriya Yaakov was killed and four other soldiers were injured, including David, who was evacuated in critical condition. "I forced myself to stay conscious. I knew that the moment I closed my eyes — it would be over. My body only gave out when I reached the hospital."
After three weeks of being sedated and ventilated, during which his right leg was amputated, he woke up. "I didn’t comprehend anything at first. My parents were the ones who told me about the amputation. Even now, I can still feel the leg and deal with phantom pains — a sense that it’s still there."
"I didn’t comprehend anything at first. My parents were the ones who told me about the amputation. Even now, I can still feel the leg and deal with phantom pains — a sense that it’s still there."
David's injury was captured on his GoPro camera, which was mounted on his helmet: "Not every injury is documented like that. It's a powerful visual. Watching the footage gave me certainty — the incident happened exactly as I remembered it; it wasn’t something I imagined."
'I was there to document war'
In May, after months of intensive rehabilitation, David received his custom prosthetic leg — and couldn’t resist taking his first step immediately. "It never crossed my mind that I’d have to 'learn to walk again,' but it happened.
“It was an incredible moment. This progress is thanks to intensive rehabilitation, physical therapy and occupational therapy. I got up and did whatever was needed to get back to myself every morning."
During this time, David also rekindled an old flame. "Bar and I had been best friends for eight years. During my recovery, she realized how important I am to her and we became a couple," he shared.
Despite his optimism, he doesn’t shy away from recalling moments of hardship. "I lost my dominant leg. Realizing I won’t be able to press the pedal as a pianist anymore. Adjusting to driving when I can’t use my right foot to press the pedals. Even just playing soccer with my younger brother requires getting used to kicking with a prosthetic."
After David, the first combat photographer to be injured, four others from the unit sustained light injuries — two in Gaza and another photographer and videographer in Lebanon: "I hope they’ll be the last," he said.
"During operations, the camera is stored in a dedicated compartment in the ceramic vest. When I felt my life was at risk, I pulled out my weapon. But ultimately, I was there to document the war. So, if my team was handling the situation and covering me, I took out the camera. That’s the essence of the role."
We met David on the day he traveled to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit to return the camera that had accompanied him throughout his service and injury — barely damaged despite his critical injury.
"During operations, the camera is stored in a dedicated compartment in the ceramic vest. When I felt my life was at risk, I pulled out my weapon. But ultimately, I was there to document the war. So, if my team was handling the situation and covering me, I took out the camera. That’s the essence of the role."
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Just before parting with the camera that had survived the chaos alongside him, David bought himself a new Sony camera, which will serve him in the new chapter he’s beginning as a civilian still recovering from his injury.
"There are still a few surgeries ahead. My left foot was completely shattered and prolonged walking still causes pain. After it’s all done, I’ll finally be able to plan my path properly." In the meantime, he’s traveled to Europe with his partner, promising, "The camera will continue to be next to me."