Recalling the Oct. 7 terror assault on Israel — practically six months in the past now — IDF soldier Shalom Shitrit, 20, stood on one leg with crutches and addressed over 1,200 individuals at The Armon Lodge & Convention in Stamford, Connecticut, on March 2, 2024, to disclose what occurred to him.
“I had no concept that the following couple of minutes had been going to alter my life, the lives of the individuals of Israel, and the life of each Jew,” he advised the assembled crowd, partially.
He went on to explain a horrific collection of occasions — and the way he is lastly arrived at a spot of hope as he strikes ahead with out so many others whose lives had been cruelly taken by terrorists.
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Shitrit advised Fox Information Digital in a few cellphone interviews that just about dropping his life on Oct. 7 has strengthened his religion. He spoke from Sheba Medical Middle close to Tel Aviv in Israel, the place he is nonetheless present process remedy after dropping his leg within the assault.
He stated he grew up in a non secular Jewish residence, however for the final three years, he’d not been maintaining the Shabbat. After Oct. 7, he felt a better connection to God and began observing Shabbat once more, he stated.
Shalom Shitrit, proven right here in two completely different photographs, advised Fox Information Digital about Oct. 7, 2023, “I had no concept that the following couple of minutes had been going to alter my life, the lives of the individuals of Israel, and the life of each Jew.” In the present day, he works laborious to encourage others and share hope and religion. (Courtesy Shalom Shitrit)
“When you dwell in emunah (Hebrew for ‘religion’), it’s serving to you … Any time you don’t [have answers] to questions … I say to myself, it’s for the great,” he stated. “I actually imagine in that. I dwell that.”
Shitrit described what it was wish to be stationed in southern Israel, simply 200 meters from the Gaza border, on that fateful day. (In cellphone interviews, he was assisted by a good friend who translated elements of his feedback.)
The title of Shitrit’s brigade in English is “the protectors of Kibbutz Be’eri,” a close-knit agricultural neighborhood within the Negev desert generally known as a peace kibbutz.
Mendacity in a pool of blood, he cupped his palms and smeared blood throughout his face and clothes so it might seem as if he’d been killed.
It was residence to — as only one instance — Vivian Silver, a 74-year-old grandmother who habitually drove sick Palestinians from Gaza to Jerusalem so they may obtain acceptable medical care. Hamas terrorists murdered her and over 130 different Be’eri residents.
Additionally they kidnapped 29 of the roughly 1,108 individuals who lived there, in response to The Occasions of Israel — lots of whom devoted their lives to serving to Palestinians, as Silver did.
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All advised, about 1,200 individuals had been murdered in Israel that day, in response to a number of studies. Kibbutz Be’eri was one of many locations most gravely affected.
Shitrit had been patrolling exterior his base that morning, the place 25 different troopers had been stationed, he stated. At 6:10 a.m., he stated, he began receiving textual content messages a couple of potential terror assault in Israel, and half an hour later, he heard rockets going off overhead.
He and his staff discovered shelter in a well-recognized security space alongside the border.
Shalom Shitrit is proven at proper with a good friend, Noam Shahm, each within the IDF. (Courtesy Shalom Shitrit)
Shitrit’s commander, Tomer Barak, pointed to the place he noticed a terrorist. Shitrit opened his mortar and ran towards the world.
He advised Fox Information Digital that as he turned a nook, he got here head to head with terrorists.
“I noticed two terrorists proper in entrance of my face, one meter between us. In that second, I simply opened hearth. I killed them each, not earlier than considered one of them managed to shoot my proper leg.”
He stored a good grip on his gun your complete time, peering by the magnifier.
Shitrit dropped to the bottom and known as out to his associates for assist, hoping to get a tourniquet — however they had been all combating in battle. About an hour and a half later, he stated, he heard shouts in Arabic and gunshots.
Shitrit remembered saying to himself, “If I keep, the terrorists [might] discover me and [will] wish to kill me.”
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So, mendacity in a pool of blood, he cupped his palms and smeared blood throughout his face and clothes so it might seem as if he’d been killed.
He stored a good grip on his gun your complete time, peering by the magnifier. Shitrit shot and killed an unsuspecting terrorist as he walked previous him.
‘Bleeding nonstop’
Getting up on one leg, Shitrit hid by the facet of a wall. When he noticed a grenade hurling towards his commander, Barak, and a fellow soldier, Sagiv Cohen, he screamed to warn them — however with the gunfire going off, they couldn’t escape. Solely Cohen lived by that explosion.
The 2 males helped one another tie tourniquets and took bullets from their associates’ weapons who had been killed.
Fourteen troopers in Shitrit’s unit, who had been all as shut as brothers, had been killed — and 5, together with Shitrit and Cohen, had been injured, Shitrit advised Fox Information Digital.
Shitrit was considered one of 11 survivors.
Cohen and Shitrit shielded their eyes from shrapnel as they crawled below a military automobile. Shitrit remembered how the sand felt like bullets towards his pores and skin. He advised Fox Information Digital, “I simply closed my eyes. I used to be bleeding nonstop. I stated my goodbyes.”
From beneath the automotive, Cohen saved their lives by fatally capturing two terrorists.
Shitrit and Cohen helped one another tie tourniquets and took bullets from their associates’ weapons who had been killed. They screamed for assist over a radio. About half an hour later, an armed automobile arrived.
Shalom Shitrit within the hospital after he was rescued on Oct. 7, 2023. At one level, amid the gun battles that day, he “stated his goodbyes.” (Shalom Shitrit)
Profusely bleeding however nonetheless acutely aware, Shitrit remembered entering into the tank together with his good friend. Shortly afterward, he misplaced consciousness — for a full week.
Shitrit wakened closely sedated at Soroka Medical Middle, the place he described experiencing horrific signs of post-traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD). He stored imagining there have been terrorists close to him, and he was so traumatized he couldn’t sleep for 4 days.
Shitrit began hallucinating due to the medicine he was taking. He requested to be taken off it when he was transferred to Sheba Medical Middle — and was capable of sleep by the night time once more.
His leg was amputated — he underwent six surgical procedures, he stated.
“You see from their faces that [the released hostages] skilled grave trauma … A whole lot of them have indicators of PTSD. They will’t sit calmly; they’re agitated.”
At Sheba, Shitrit met with a number of the launched hostages who had been kidnapped from the Supernova music competition, together with 21-year-old French-Israeli lady Mia Schem, who was shot in her arm, and Maya Regev, 21, and her brother, Itay Regev, 19, who had been each shot of their legs.
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(Of the roughly 250 individuals who had been kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in Israel on Oct. 7, greater than 40 had been music competition attendees — principally younger individuals of their teenagers and 20s who had been on the Supernova music competition, in response to a number of studies.)
Shitrit noticed that whereas the hostages appeared sturdy, they had been doubtless struggling emotionally.
Shalom Shitrit advised Fox Information Digital in regards to the People who’re visiting Israel to assist the Jewish individuals by volunteering and different humanitarian actions, “I wish to say thanks … We see American individuals coming all the way in which to Israel on a regular basis, and it’s very, very heartwarming.” (Shalom Shitrit)
He stated, “They radiate power, however you may see that they went by one thing … They wish to talk about it within the media and [share] their tales about what Hamas did, however you see from their faces that they skilled grave trauma … A whole lot of them have indicators of PTSD. They will’t sit calmly; they’re agitated.”
He added, “We must be there for these individuals.”
For his personal rehabilitative remedy, Shitrit goes to a therapy middle for wounded IDF troopers in Kiryat Ono, Israel, which is related to the nonprofit group Belev Echad — which suggests “One Coronary heart” in Hebrew. Belev Echad’s headquarters are in New York, however its location in Israel is a therapeutic refuge for IDF troopers who’re recovering from bodily and emotional trauma.
‘Greatest type of remedy’
Rabbi Uriel Vigler, founding father of Bel Echad, stated the troopers primarily come to the home to be within the firm of one another as a result of “it’s like the most important type of remedy that there’s.”
When a soldier appears into the eyes of a fellow warrior, “solely they will perceive one another’s ache.”
He stated that when a soldier appears into the eyes of a fellow warrior, “solely they will perceive one another’s ache, solely they will perceive what they’ve gone by — and [only they can know] the scenes of devastation they’ve seen collectively.”
Since Oct. 7, there are about 12,000 wounded troopers, 1,500 of whom are being cared for at Belev Echad, the rabbi stated.
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Eight therapy rooms, akin to one for occupational remedy and one other for bodily rehabilitation, had been shortly constructed to accommodate their wants. The ability can be geared up with a health club, martial arts room, and pool for hydrotherapy periods, Vigler stated.
The middle provides meals in addition to bodily, non secular and psychological assist. Employees members at Belev Echad, together with a coach who was additionally shot in his legs, are wounded troopers themselves, to allow them to relate to the sufferers they look after on a private degree, he additionally stated.
Shalom Shitrit needed to have his proper leg amputated after the accidents he suffered in the course of the terror assault on Oct. 7, 2023 towards Israel. (Courtesy Shalom Shitrit)
Regardless of the great ache the troopers are in, “they’re joyful to be alive, so joyful to be with us,” stated Vigler. “You don’t get depressed spending time with them. You truly get impressed.”
Shitrit steadily visits with fellow troopers at Shaba and Belev Echad.
The younger soldier began an initiative known as Kamim Mehadash, which suggests “rise once more” in Hebrew. He arranges for baggage of requirements, like meals, shampoo and headphones, to be dropped at troopers on military bases.
Shitrit additionally speaks to different survivors in Israel to encourage uplift them.
“You might hear a pin drop whereas he spoke. Folks had been crying, after which they had been cheering.”
He is additionally flown to the U.S. to provide speeches in New York Metropolis, Boston, Connecticut and elsewhere.
Not too long ago, he advised the viewers in Stamford, Connecticut, that living by the tragedy of Oct. 7 taught him the significance of unity, particularly in mild of the political and non secular divisions in Israel earlier than the conflict.
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“Regardless of all of the ache that I endured, regardless of how scary it was to be an inch from dying, I’m honored to provide of myself, and to sacrifice my proper leg for the sake of unity among the many Jewish individuals,” he stated.
“We’re all one … Hug your Jewish brothers and sisters.”
Robin Meyerson, founder and director of the Arizona chapter of Undertaking Encourage, a Jewish nonprofit group that invited Shitrit to talk in Connecticut, stated, “I used to be within the viewers … You might hear a pin drop whereas he spoke. Folks had been crying, after which they had been cheering.”
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Concerning the People who help Israel from afar, and those that go to Israel as nicely to volunteer, Shitrit advised Fox Information Digital, “I wish to say thanks … We see American individuals coming all the way in which to Israel on a regular basis, and it’s very, very heartwarming.”
He added, “I don’t have phrases.”
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