From a Burning Tank in Shuja'iyya to the Wedding Chuppah

Two years after being severely wounded in Gaza, 26-year-old Shaked Shilian married his former partner, 24-year-old Uri Dimant, in February, despite wartime restrictions that nearly derailed the wedding. Their celebration had to be planned under Home Front Command limits, with a small guest list, a narrow time window, and constant uncertainty during Operation "Roar of the Lion," when Iranian missile fire and broader war conditions repeatedly disrupted preparations.

Shilian, from Hadera and one of eight siblings, served as a tank loader and communications operator in Battalion 53 of the 188th Brigade. In Shuja'iyya, his tank was hit by a combined attack involving an explosive charge and RPG fire. He was badly wounded in both legs, along with the tank commander and gunner. He said the crew had been playing "Country-City" just before the strike, and that he kept helping the others and stayed conscious until they were rescued. He was evacuated by helicopter to Beilinson Hospital and then transferred to long rehabilitation at Loewenstein Hospital. "From a soldier who could do everything, I became, in an instant, a dependent person," he said.

The injury came after his mother had died four years earlier, and his family was again hit hard by the news. His father stayed beside him in the hospital for a month, helping him bathe, dress, and cope. Shilian said his mother gave him his smile and determination, and that he feels he carries her with him every day.

Dimant, a computer science student from Moshav Gimzo near Yaar Ben Shemen, had originally been introduced to him through their married siblings. They dated briefly, broke up before the injury, and only reconnected after she respected his request not to visit him immediately in the hospital. Once he stabilized, she began visiting Loewenstein regularly, and he said her support helped speed his recovery. Two years after the injury, he proposed in her family’s moshav, the place where they had first broken up. When wedding planning became impossible, the 188th Brigade's Barak Association stepped in and arranged the hall, singer, catering, tables, and chairs. Shilian now teaches grades 7 and 8 and works with at-risk youth, while saying his rehabilitation is not over and that he still intends to serve the country again.