Officer Critically Wounded in Sderot Police Station Battle Recounts Ordeal
Translated & summarized from Channel 13 by baba
Superintendent Mati Tzarfati, critically wounded during the October 7 battle for the Sderot police station, recounted his fight for survival, including a farewell call to his wife. He was shot in the chest and leg by terrorists. After months of rehabilitation, Tzarfati was released from the hospital on January 1, 2024, and stated his aspiration to return to police service.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Superintendent Mati Tzarfati was critically wounded in the October 7 battle for the Sderot police station.
- He made a farewell call to his wife, Efrat, while severely injured.
- Tzarfati displayed "supreme determination and exceptional fighting spirit" to survive.
- He was released from the hospital on January 1, 2024, after extensive rehabilitation.
- Tzarfati's main goal is to return to his police unit and continue his service.
Superintendent Mati Tzarfati recounted his near-fatal experience during the October 7, 2023 battle for the Sderot police station, where he was critically wounded by sniper fire and sustained severe injuries to his chest and leg.
While lying on the ground, bleeding and in immense pain, Tzarfati made a "chilling farewell call" to his wife, Efrat, telling her "Honey, I love you very much." He described the moment, "Lying with a bullet in my chest, a bullet in my leg. I take out my phone, I call Efrat my wife, I tell her 'Honey, I love you very much.'"
Despite his grave condition, Tzarfati displayed "supreme determination and exceptional fighting spirit" to survive and return to his family and service. The memory of fallen comrades from the intense battle at the station "accompanies Tzarfati daily" throughout his rehabilitation. "At every stage I go through, I still think and feel about those police officers, my friends who did not reach this stage," he stated.
His survival involved a complex extraction and emergency treatment at Barzilai Hospital. During his recovery, he met with the doctor and the paramedic who treated him. The paramedic recalled Tzarfati's unwavering resolve, saying, "From the beginning, you said you weren't going to die." This determination, Tzarfati explained, fueled his fight from the moment of injury through intensive care and recovery.
On January 1, 2024, after months of rehabilitation, Tzarfati was released from the hospital. He described the moment as a "personal victory" and expressed his primary goal: to return to his unit. "Ultimately, my destiny is to be a police officer, and of course, that's where I aspire and where I want to get," he said, emphasizing his commitment to returning to service.
