Oct. 7 Survivor Recounts 8 Hours Hiding, Demands Answers
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
Matan Shlomo, an October 7th survivor, detailed hiding for eight hours on Zikim Beach after terrorists infiltrated while he and his cousin were fishing. His cousin was seriously injured, and they faced intense combat before rescue. Shlomo is now fighting for disability benefits and claims the military has excluded his experience from official reports. He continues to visit the beach, viewing it as a symbol of hope and demanding answers from the state.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Matan Shlomo survived eight hours hiding on Zikim Beach after terrorists infiltrated on October 7th.
- Shlomo and his cousin Roi Nahum were caught in heavy gunfire from sea and land, with Nahum sustaining a facial injury.
- Shlomo is seeking disability benefits from the National Insurance Institute and claims his experience was omitted from military debriefings.
- He recounts close encounters with terrorists and the difficulty of reliving the trauma during bureaucratic processes.
- Despite his ordeal, Shlomo continues to visit Zikim Beach, calling it a place of hope and demanding answers from the state.
Matan Shlomo, a survivor of the October 7th Hamas attack, has spoken out about his harrowing experience hiding for eight hours on Zikim Beach after being caught in the crossfire during the initial infiltration. Shlomo and his cousin, Roi Nahum, were fishing on the beach when the massacre began, finding themselves in the heart of the battle zone with gunfire from the sea, rockets, and terrorists entering the area. Nahum was severely wounded in the face, and the two spent hours hidden in a bush awaiting rescue. Shlomo, who has since been recognized as a victim of hostile acts, is now struggling with the National Insurance Institute over his disability benefits, feeling that the process requires him to repeatedly recount his trauma. He also claims that official military debriefings of the Zikim Beach events have omitted him and the soldiers who rescued him, expressing anger at the perceived lack of transparency and accountability. Shlomo recounts the moments of intense fear, the sounds of battle, and the near-death experiences, including close encounters with terrorists. He described giving his own vehicle to paratroopers to evacuate wounded soldiers and civilians. Despite the trauma, Shlomo continues to visit Zikim Beach, calling it a "Zikim of Hope" and expressing a desire for the state to provide answers and ensure better protection for its citizens.
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