Reservist Says He Shielded His Unit from Drone Blast in Lebanon

Boaz Slouk, a 55-year-old reserve soldier, father of seven and grandfather of eight, recounted from his hospital bed at Rambam Medical Center how he was seriously wounded last week by an explosive drone in Lebanon while saving his comrades. Speaking in an interview with Tal Meir that aired on Sunday, he said he made split-second decisions that kept the threat away from other soldiers in his platoon.

Slouk said he first heard a suspicious buzzing overhead while speaking with his platoon commander. When they looked up, they saw the drone approaching from the east. The commander asked whether it was one of their unit’s drones, but Slouk said he immediately sensed it was not and realized it was targeting him. He chose not to run toward his fellow soldiers or armored vehicles, saying he did not want to draw the attack onto anyone else.

In the tense moments before impact, Slouk said his first thought was, "My wife is going to kill me" for getting wounded, but he quickly pushed thoughts of home aside and focused on the fight. He described telling himself, "Boaz, you are a lion. There is no fear. You are facing him and you are winning." He also said he decided not to say "Shema Yisrael," explaining that doing so would have meant accepting death. Instead, he aimed his weapon at the drone and confronted it head-on.

Slouk said what he called "siyata dishmaya" caused the drone to shift slightly when it saw his weapon pointed at it. It exploded a short distance away, but he managed to move his right leg while his left leg was badly injured and a major artery was severed. He said he is not the only soldier in his family, noting that four of his children are also serving, two in Gaza, one on the Syrian border, and his daughter in reserve duty. Despite his injuries, he said he has no regrets: "I am proud of what I do... I am glad it is me, and I do not regret it for a moment."