MDA israel

Menahem Blumenthal, a paramedic at MDA's Tzohar station and MDA Senior EMT Hananya Almakias were working together on the night shift between Friday and Black Saturday (7.10), when at 06:30 the rocket barrage began towards the Western Negev communities. "Around 06:40, MDA received a call about a seriously injured person in the Bnei Netzarim area and we immediately rushed to the scene. During the medical treatment, around 7 in the morning, messages began to be received about terrorists infiltrating the communities around us, we realized that we would not be able to evacuate the wounded to the hospital because there are terrorists on the roads around us and we decided to enter the nearby Moshav Naveh," recalls MDA Paramedic Menahem Blumenthal. "We arrived at the community's synagogue, took the casualty who was with us in the MICU and decided to convert the synagogue into a field hospital and prepare to receive any additional casualties there might be."

MDA paramedic Menahem Blumenthal realized that they were the only medical point in the area and the number of injured in the terror attack and began to prepare with help: he also contacted the residents of the area and asked everyone who has medical training to come to the synagogue, asked the clinic in the moshav for all their medical equipment, and asked a premilitary study academy located in the moshav to bring all the stretchers that are in their possession - this way, together with the residents, he set up a clinic inside the synagogue, when there might be terrorists roaming around outside. Menahem requested a security cordon from the security response team, which was also busy at that moment in fighting the terrorists who had infiltrated the nearby communities. When he realized the magnitude of the incident, he contacted the MDA dispatch center and asked to direct ambulances with injured people to the synagogue.

At the same time, the home of Akiva Shabat, an MDA ambulance driver from the community of Shlomit, was damaged by a direct rocket strike in the first barrage. *Akiva, who also serves as a member of the security response team in the community where he lives, sought contact under fire and eliminated terrorists, contacted Menahem and with the MDA ambulance rescued wounded people from nearby communities to the clinic. "In the very first barrage, my house was hit directly and caused a lot of destruction. I made sure that my whole family who was with me in the safe room was not harmed, and I immediately understood that this was an unusual and significant event. As part of being a member of the security response team in the village I put on the vest, took the weapon and went out to fight. At the same time as shooting and neutralizing the terrorists, I provided initial medical treatment to the wounded who were scattered in the area, and after coordinating with Menahem and Hananya, I directed the wounded to the synagogue and continued fighting."

"Around 09:30 we received a report from Akiva Shabat that he made contact with the wounded from the terrorist infiltration in the nearby Moshav Pri Gan and that very heavy fighting was taking place there and that he was rescuing them to us to the synagogue which became a field hospital. We provided medical treatment to the wounded who were evacuated to us while at the same time we are constantly trying to coordinate a helicopter with MDA dispatch center and the IDF in order to rescue the victims. We used all the medical equipment we had in order to save the wounded. "Unfortunately, there was a very chilling moment when one of the patients passed away and the worshipers who were in the synagogue said Kaddish over him," recalls Menachem.

This week, MDA paramedic Menahem Blumenthal and MDA EMT Akiva Shabat arrived at Sheba Tel Hashomer Hospital, where they excitedly met Boaz Biran and Michael Gotesman, whom they rescued in the synagogue that was converted into a field clinic after they were seriously wounded by the terrorists' gunfire.

Michael Gotesman, whose life was saved thanks to the resourcefulness and medical care of Menachem, Hananya and Akiva: "In the first moments after the injury and the initial evacuation, I didn't realize where I was, I didn't realize I was in the synagogue. I saw Menahem who started to take care of me and I said to myself in my heart, ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, sent me an angel to take care of me’. In retrospect, I understand that in addition to the medical treatment I received, the holy books that surrounded me kept me safe."

Boaz Biran, who was wounded by the shooting and treated at the makeshift hospital, recalled: "I remember that from the time I was wounded by a gunshot to the chest and hand until I arrived at the synagogue, I fought for every breath. As soon as they brought me into the synagogue on a stretcher, I remember lying on my side, I didn't quite understand where I was But I saw the MDA teams and felt relieved, I understood that now I would receive medical treatment and my condition would stabilize. I boarded the helicopter that evacuated me to the hospital in a stable condition. And it was only thanks to you. Thank you very much for saving my life."