Officer Shoshana Mali's Unbelievable Battle at Sderot Police Station

On October 7, 2023, Officer Shoshana Mali, a single mother, took command on the roof of the Sderot police station, armed with only one pistol against 26 Hamas terrorists. The station, which became a symbol of the Hamas attack, was destroyed. Mali single-handedly threw back a grenade, sustained severe injuries, and survived for hours in a pool of blood before a heroic rescue under fire. She had been on duty as the officer of the day, having swapped shifts to allow another officer to observe the holiday. Her journey to Sderot that morning was routine, but she soon found herself in an unimaginable battle.

As rocket sirens sounded, Mali and her colleagues initially followed standard procedure, heading for a safe room. However, the intensity and noise quickly escalated beyond typical rocket attacks. The first indication of a different kind of threat came with a report of terrorists landing on the Zikim beach, an area under Sderot police jurisdiction. The emergency order "Fresh Fish" was issued, signaling an enemy infiltration and the sealing of the district.

Mali realized the situation was far more serious than a missile attack when a white van carrying terrorists, identified by their bandanas and weapons, arrived at the station. She immediately ordered her six colleagues to the roof, while another officer with a long rifle stayed below to engage the terrorists. Facing an overwhelming force of 26 terrorists, the officers on the roof, armed primarily with pistols, used the low wall for cover against intense gunfire.

During the fierce battle, Mali threw back a grenade that rolled towards her, causing it to explode in the stairwell and kill two terrorists. She also personally killed two terrorists who attempted to reach the roof. In the process, she was shot in the right hand, sustaining severe injuries. Despite her critical condition, she continued to command and fight, even as the station was engulfed in chaos with firefights in the corridors and on the roof. She later instructed her son, Arz, that she loved him via radio, unsure if she would survive.

Mali lay wounded on the roof for hours, enduring the cold and her injuries, feigning death to avoid further harm. She witnessed the deaths of colleagues, including Mor Shakuri and Yaron Dayan. Eventually, YAMAM (Israel's National Counter-Terrorism Unit) forces arrived for a rescue operation. A YAMAM fighter helped her ascend a ladder via his leg, and she was evacuated by crane under heavy fire. She was taken to the hospital, suffering from severe injuries, shrapnel wounds, and hypothermia. She learned that eight police officers had been killed in the battle for the station. Despite her severe injuries, Mali returned to her role in the Ashdod police headquarters a few days later, reflecting on how the experience changed her perspective on life.