As the reservists were exiting the area, terrorists opened fire from roughly 200 meters away.
By The IDF Club
Two miraculous stories of courage and survival are emerging from the predawn battle in the Syrian village of Beit Jann, where Israeli reservists came under fierce attack during a high-risk counterterror mission early Friday morning.
The operation, carried out by the 55th Reserve Brigade under Division 210, began shortly before 3 a.m. and focused on two brothers affiliated with the Islamist Jemaah Islamiya network. The suspects had been involved in planting explosives and firing projectiles in the past. IDF troops entered the home swiftly and professionally, arresting the brothers in their beds without resistance.
As the reservists were exiting the area, terrorists opened fire from roughly 200 meters away. The ambush struck a military vehicle and wounded six soldiers. IDF forces returned fire immediately and with precision, eliminating several attackers while medical teams evacuated the injured by helicopter to Rambam and Sheba medical centers.
Out of the chaos came two extraordinary and truly miraculous survival stories. In the first incident, a reservist was shot directly in the head. The terrorist’s bullet slammed into his helmet with full force, yet the helmet absorbed the impact and prevented the round from penetrating. The soldier suffered moderate leg wounds from two additional bullets, but the shot aimed at his head, which should have been fatal, was completely stopped.
The second case was even more dramatic. A critically wounded reservist arrived at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa with a bullet lodged inside his heart. The round had pierced his protective vest, entered his chest and caused massive internal bleeding. Cardiothoracic surgeons worked for hours in an extremely delicate operation that required opening his chest from both the side and the center.
“After a rapid consultation, we unanimously decided to leave the bullet in place,” said Dr. Gil Bolotin, director of Rambam’s cardiac surgery department. “We succeeded in stabilizing him, and today he is recovering and communicating. We will assess whether to remove the bullet in a later operation, through catheterization, or to leave it where it is.”
These powerful accounts reveal the high price Israeli reservists are prepared to pay in order to protect the nation. They also serve as deeply moving reminders that even in the most dangerous moments of battle, miracles occur and Divine protection surrounds the soldiers who stand in harm’s way for the security of the people of Israel.
