Paramedics Recount Harrowing Ordeal of October 7th Attacks

United Hatzalah volunteers Gitti Beer and Liyad Ohana have shared their experiences from the initial hours of the October 7th Hamas attacks, detailing their drive south and their efforts to treat the wounded under fire. Beer described the scene as apocalyptic, stating, "We started seeing vehicles, just bodies everywhere." She recounted being woken by her daughter about terrorists in Sderot, followed by calls from United Hatzalah. As she drove south with her son-in-law, also a volunteer, Beer began to grasp the unprecedented scale of the event, with repeated air raid sirens and smoke visible. "I thought I was in some movie. I really thought I was imagining it," she said. The volunteers initially stopped to assess and treat casualties, but in many cases, it was too late. Beer described continuing to enter the area, evacuating the injured, and connecting with other ambulances amidst ongoing gunfire and explosions.

Ohana, who was in Ofakim, gradually realized the shooting he heard was not related to rocket barrages. Reports of terrorists inside the city and injured civilians emerged, but street fighting often prevented volunteers from reaching them. In one instance, Ohana and other volunteers attempted to reach a wounded woman but were blocked by terrorists. They could only reach her after security forces pushed back the militants, but by then, she could not be saved. Despite the horrific sights, both volunteers also recalled lives they managed to save. Beer spoke of a severely wounded man she treated and stabilized for hours before he could be evacuated by helicopter, later meeting him alive and well with his family. Ohana described treating another patient named Victor in Ofakim, who was eventually transported by a private car to the hospital, arriving at a critical moment.

Ohana noted that during the intense hours of treatment, there was no room for fear or thoughts of his family. "I have a mission. I want to get there and treat people," he stated. He briefly returned home to retrieve car seats for evacuating children, telling his wife, "You don't open the door for anyone. If it's not me, you don't open the door for anyone." Even after the fighting subsided, the trauma lingered for Ohana, with travel in the area triggering memories of terrorists, wounded, and dead. He also grappled with the thought of those he couldn't reach in time.

Beer mentioned that United Hatzalah provided psychological support and treatment for volunteers, but she acknowledged the immense difficulty in processing the events. "I think it will take a generation to digest this thing," she concluded.