Magen David Adom Responders Detail Harrowing Efforts During Oct. 7 Hamas Attack
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS French by baba
Magen David Adom paramedics and volunteers recount their harrowing experiences providing emergency medical care during the October 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel. Responders like Oren Benita, Anastasia Stelmachov, and Gilad Honvald worked under fire, often in their own homes or under direct threat, to treat the wounded. Magen David Adom mobilized over 1,400 ambulances and mobile intensive care units nationwide and established numerous aid stations. The organization lost 39 employees and volunteers in the attack and subsequent war.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Magen David Adom paramedics and volunteers recount their actions during the October 7 Hamas attack.
- Responders treated wounded soldiers and civilians under fire in kibbutzim like Mefalsim and Alumim.
- Paramedic Gilad Honvald received the Presidential Medal for Civilian Bravery for his actions.
- Magen David Adom mobilized over 1,400 ambulances and intensive care units nationwide.
- The organization lost 39 employees and volunteers since the October 7 attack.
- MDA emergency centers received over 21,700 calls on October 7.
On October 7, 2023, Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency medical teams rapidly organized rescue operations amidst the initial hours of the Hamas attack, responding within communities under assault and on roads where fighting persisted. In Mefalsim, paramedics Oren Benita and his wife Merav Benita transformed their living room into a makeshift treatment area for two soldiers wounded by gunfire, as combat raged around their home. With dwindling medical supplies and the soldiers' conditions worsening, Oren Benita eventually transported them under escort to the kibbutz entrance, where an armored ambulance took them to a hospital. He later reunited with the recovering soldiers, stating, "It was worth it."
Meanwhile, paramedic Anastasia Stelmachov, having just completed a 24-hour shift, chose to remain on duty with paramedic Nashat Nasser. They traveled south to Sderot, where they treated and evacuated a severely wounded police officer to a medical point in Kochav Michael. At Alumim, volunteer paramedic and ambulance driver Gilad Honvald and his son responded to the sirens, quickly realizing terrorists had infiltrated the kibbutz. Under fire, he and fellow MDA volunteer Amihai Shaham began treating the wounded. Shaham was critically injured by gunfire during these rescue efforts. Evacuations were conducted using private vehicles, with Honvald participating in the transfer of ten casualties, several in critical condition. He recalled, "It was clear to everyone that we were fighting for our home. Anyone else would have done what I did." For his actions, Honvald received the Presidential Medal for Civilian Bravery in 2024.
In response to the scale of the attack, Magen David Adom significantly increased its deployment. Night shift teams remained on duty, reinforced by arriving morning crews, and ambulances, including armored vehicles, were dispatched from across the country to the south. Medical aid stations were established in various locations, including attacked communities. MDA's emergency centers received over 21,700 calls on October 7. Within hours, more than 1,400 ambulances and mobile intensive care units were mobilized nationwide, with over 300 operating in the southern region. The organization also mourns 39 employees, volunteers, and caregivers who have died since October 7, including eight killed during rescue missions, twelve who fell defending the country, and nineteen who died since the war began. Their stories are featured alongside those of responders who continued their missions despite personal danger.
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