Three years on
We Remember October 7th Testimonies from United Hatzalah’s Volunteers
They saw what happened that day with their own eyes. Share their testimony so the world never forgets.
The Day Israel’s Volunteer First Responders Ran Toward the Fire
On October 7th, 2023, United Hatzalah mobilized all 7,000 of its volunteers. By the end of that first day, 1,500 of them were treating and transporting thousands of wounded under rocket fire and gunfire in Be’eri, Sderot, Ofakim and at the Nova festival site.
October 7th, hour by hour
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First alerts and emergency reports
06:29
Gaza periphery and central Israel
Red Alert sirens begin sounding as heavy rocket fire is launched from the Gaza Strip toward Israel.
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06:59
Mefalsim Junction
Calls initially describe a serious collision involving multiple vehicles. The incident is subsequently identified as a mass shooting with more than 50 casualties. Notification from national ambulance dispatch is delayed, and calls to the police emergency line go unanswered.
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07:22
Sderot
Volunteer physician Dr. Tarek Abu Arar is shot by Hamas terrorists; his United Hatzalah bulletproof vest protects him from the initial shooting. The terrorists subsequently shoot him in the leg, tie him up and use him as a human shield. After 45 minutes, IDF commandos rescue him, and he is taken to Soroka Medical Center.
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07:32
Sderot
EMT Rabbi Chaim Sassi is shot and wounded while treating five injured patients at the besieged police station.
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07:57
Re’im – NOVA Festival
Volunteer EMT Bar Kuperstein is taken hostage by Hamas terrorists while treating the injured.
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08:53
Gaza periphery
More than 100 separate private-car evacuations transport more than 200 injured people to hospitals over the course of the day.
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09:27
Rosh Pina / Kfar Aza
Dispatch connects Psychotrauma Unit specialist Dr. Tamar Schlezinger with nine-year-old Michael Idan and his younger sister Amalia, hiding in a closet in Kfar Aza after their parents were murdered. She remains on the phone with them for 12 hours, offering reassurance until Israeli special forces rescue them.
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10:56
Heletz Junction
United Hatzalah establishes a staging area near a police checkpoint for ambulances, helicopters and Advanced Life Support vehicles. A small field hospital provides triage and determines evacuation arrangements.
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11:30
Command Center
The War Room Command Center is activated under Dovie Maisel, with representatives from every United Hatzalah division present to expedite the response.
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Triage, urgent evacuations and reinforcements
12:04
Heletz Junction
Private and military vehicles bring hundreds of injured patients to the staging area. Doctors assess patients and determine their destination hospitals and means of evacuation.
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14:30
Kfar Aza
United Hatzalah medics, IDF special units establish a treatment site at the kibbutz entrance. Ambulances and Advanced Life Support response cars transport the injured to the helicopter landing zone at Sa’ad. The operation continues through the night until late Sunday afternoon.
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15:30
Heletz Junction
The first United Hatzalah helicopter evacuation takes place. In total, 9 critically wounded patients are evacuated by air – all of them survive.
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16:15
Shuva Junction
United Hatzalah medics, under the direction of Linor Attias, together with the IDF Medical Corps, established a triage area and field hospital at the Shuva Junction.
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17:10
Be’eri
United Hatzalah medics and IDF special units establish a treatment site at the kibbutz entrance. Ambulances and Advanced Life Support response cars transport patients to helicopter landing zones at Heletz and Sa’ad. The operation continues through the night until late Sunday afternoon.
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23:16
Kfar Aza
Dozens of casualties are reported. IDF commandos hand injured patients to United Hatzalah ambulance teams at the gas station outside the kibbutz for transport to hospital or Heletz. The national ambulance service had refused to allow its ambulances to enter the area.
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Oct 8 · 03:26
Command Center
With Soroka and Barzilai at full capacity, United Hatzalah’s Medical Director contacts the Ministry of Health command center to coordinate destinations for new patients.
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Oct 8 · Afternoon
Kfar Aza and Be’eri
United Hatzalah management representatives remain at the kibbutz entrances, overseeing continued evacuations as IDF commandos bring out the injured and hand them to ambulance crews. This continues until late afternoon on October 8.
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Oct 8 · Onward
Sde Yoav
On October 8, immediately following the attacks and while terrorists were still active inside Israel, United Hatzalah opened an emergency operations base at Sde Yoav. With a command center, dispatch operations, and a meeting room, the complex became a vital hub for coordinating our lifesaving response for more than a month.
Watch their stories
Eli Beer Interviews the First Responders
Three years on, our volunteers share what they carry with them. Start with a full conversation, or watch a short reel.
Podcast 1 episode · full conversation
A United Hatzalah Paramedic’s October 7 Story – Gitty Beer
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Short reels 4 videos · short clips
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October 7th Testimonies – David
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October 7th Testimonies – Alex Shamis
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October 7th Testimonies – Yuval Shlaifman
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October 7th Testimonies – Gitty Beer
The Ambulance Cameras
Sirens, smoke, and heartbreak filled the air. Yet thousands of volunteers stood firm, risking their lives to save others – a nation’s strength captured in motion.
The Ambulance Cameras – United Hatzalah on October 7
Testimonies from the Front Lines
The State of Israel is in chaos
Yoni Rosenfeld · Jerusalem
Heroes of October 7th: Yoni Rosenfeld
It’s the first time a disaster like this has happened at home
Liad Ohana · Ofakim
Heroes of October 7th: Liad Ohana’s Testimony of Courage from His Hometown of Ofakim
There was just silence
Naomi Tavon · Beit Shemesh
Heroes of October 7th: Naomi Tavon – I did what I had to do
It seems we have more challenges ahead
Rabbi Chaim Sassi · Sderot
Heroes of October 7th: Rabbi Chaim Sassi’s Miraculous Survival
They answered the call. Now they need you.
Your gift keeps volunteer medics equipped, trained and ready for the next emergency.
They’re shooting at our volunteers
United Hatzalah dispatch center recordings
Real-time recordings on October 7th from United Hatzalah’s headquarters in Jerusalem.
October 7: Haunting Footage and Recordings from United Hatzalah’s Dispatch Center | i24 Report
As seen on Uvda · Channel 12
A Scar Like No Other
The Psychotrauma & Crisis Response Unit addresses the emotional needs of family members, witnesses and bystanders during and after traumatic situations. Watch this extraordinary piece about the critical work of United Hatzalah’s Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit on October 7th.
Dr. Tamar Stayed on the Phone for 12 Hours
On the Front Lines
Ambulance footage and interviews with United Hatzalah volunteers Avi, Avi, and Emanuel, who risked their lives to evacuate wounded from the war zone on October 7th.
Inside the Ambulance on the Front Lines: The Story of October 7th – from Channel 12 Uvda
We Honor the Brave Volunteers Who Saved So Many Lives That Day
We remain committed to telling their stories.
