Sderot Police Station Survivor Recounts Harrowing Battle
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Superintendent (res.) Mali Shoshana, a survivor of the October 7th Hamas attack on the Sderot police station, has returned to the site to share her harrowing experience. She described fighting terrorists on the roof, feigning death to survive, and being the only one from her group to make it out alive. Shoshana now visits the station to speak about the heroism of her fallen comrades and other survivors, finding it a difficult but meaningful endeavor.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Mali Shoshana survived the October 7th attack on the Sderot police station by feigning death.
- Shoshana fought terrorists on the police station roof and narrowly escaped a grenade.
- She was the sole survivor from her group on the roof, with all her colleagues killed.
- Three years later, Shoshana has returned to the Sderot police station to share her story.
- She speaks to various groups about the heroism of survivors and fallen comrades.
- Shoshana finds these visits emotionally challenging but important.
Superintendent (res.) Mali Shoshana, who survived the October 7th Hamas attack on the Sderot police station by feigning death, has returned to the site three years later to recount her experience and honor fallen comrades. Shoshana was the shift commander at the station when the attack began. Initially mistaking the alarms for a minor incident, she realized the gravity of the situation upon hearing reports of a naval infiltration and seeing a van carrying five armed terrorists speeding towards the station, opening fire.
Shoshana and six other officers immediately took to the station's roof for cover and to engage the attackers. They successfully eliminated three terrorists attempting to breach the station. However, subsequent waves of terrorists assaulted the roof. During a critical moment, Shoshana narrowly avoided a grenade, throwing it back down the stairwell where it killed two terrorists. Despite these successes, the situation escalated when terrorists breached the roof.
Facing imminent danger, Shoshana chose to feign death, lying motionless with the hope of surviving a potential execution. She was eventually rescued by YAMAM (National Counter-Terrorism Unit) forces and police who arrived and engaged the terrorists. Shoshana was the sole survivor from her group on the roof, with all her colleagues killed. She described the intense fear and trembling during her extraction but found strength in reuniting with the YAMAM fighters.
Since the attack, Shoshana has returned to the Sderot police station multiple times to speak with groups of students, soldiers, police officers, and civilians. She stated that returning to the location still brings back vivid memories and emotions, but she finds purpose in sharing the stories of heroism of those who fought alongside her, both those who survived and those who perished. She acknowledged that these visits are emotionally taxing, sometimes affecting her sleep.
