Soldier Recounts Harrowing Hamas Attack and Recovery

Noa Zaavi, a 23-year-old former soldier from Tel Aviv, described her severe injuries and ongoing recovery after being shot in the head during the October 7th Hamas attack on the Zikim base. Serving as a training sergeant in the Home Front Command, Zaavi was on duty when the attack began. She recounted waking to explosions and immediately moving her trainees to a protected area amidst continuous gunfire. She credited the base commander, Adir Meir Aboudi, who was killed in the attack, with issuing a timely order for staff to take positions, which she believes prevented a larger breach.

Zaavi detailed her own near-fatal encounter, explaining she was initially assigned to secure a shelter but felt compelled to join the fight. After a friend, Omri Niv Firestein, also killed in the attack, checked on her, she ran towards a position under heavy fire. She encountered dozens of terrorists and, after a brief retreat, ran again towards the position. She engaged four terrorists, killing one, before being shot in the head by another and losing consciousness. She later learned that the position she was heading towards was hit by an RPG, killing four soldiers, including Firestein.

She recounted further harrowing events, including being treated by a volunteer rabbi's wife, who was a nurse, only for one of the two terrorists who infiltrated the base to reach their room. The terrorist shot and killed a trainee assisting her and wounded the nurse before being neutralized by two other trainees. Zaavi was evacuated in critical condition to Barzilai Medical Center, where her life was saved, but due to the lack of a neurosurgical department, she was urgently transferred to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem. She spent two weeks on a ventilator and in an induced coma.

Since her discharge, Zaavi has been undergoing cognitive and psychological rehabilitation for her head injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, which she describes as a difficult combination. She finds support from her daily caregiver and her adopted dog, Anton, who helps manage her anxiety. She notes the invisible nature of head injuries, contrasting her current disorientation with her past navigational skills. Loud noises and crowded places trigger her trauma, reminding her of October 7th.

Zaavi also spoke about her relationship with her girlfriend, Ronnie, who has been supportive. She highlighted a perceived difference in how female casualties are treated compared to males, noting that female injuries are often assumed to be from accidents rather than combat. She expressed deep longing for her former sense of security and paid tribute to fallen friends, including Adir Meir Aboudi, Omri Niv Firestein, Eden Alon Levi, and Neria Negari, who was killed while trying to help her.