Wounded Jenin Fighter Says He Plans to Return to the Army, Calls for Unity

A week after being injured in an explosion in Jenin, fighter Yitzhar Even Ash published a detailed update on his condition, thanked the medical teams who treated him, and urged Israelis to avoid speaking badly about others. He said the initial treatment, including surgeries and field care, “saved my life and saved a lot of things in my body.”

Even Ash described injuries to both eyes, his left hand, and his right hand. His left eye suffered a blast injury without foreign objects, and he said his vision has been improving daily, from seeing nothing at first to now making out shapes and objects. His right eye was hit by shrapnel, with four fragments lodged there, three and a half already removed and the remaining half expected to come out later.

He said his left hand was amputated at the wrist, but surgeons preserved his elbow, movement, and nerves in preparation for a future prosthesis. “In the end there will be a hand,” he said. On his right hand, he said four fingers move fully, while the thumb is half-amputated but still long enough that he expects to be able to grip objects after the fracture heals. He added that he has no other internal injuries, including none to the head, and called his recovery a miracle.

Even Ash also thanked his wife, who is caring for him and their daughters, and said he is already exercising and moving into active rehabilitation. He said he feels physically and mentally well and plans to return to the army. He told supporters that he felt “all of Israel” standing behind him and said this period, despite its hardships, will later be seen as a historic and meaningful time for the state. He ended by asking the public to take on a challenge from now until Saturday night, not to speak ill of anyone in the media, on social networks, or in personal interactions, and instead to seek and speak good about one another.