“I have never imagined it [would] be a year of war.”
That’s what Dr. Shafir Botner, a veteran helicopter paramedic and director of Magen David Adom’s Paramedic School, told CBN News while reflecting on the first anniversary of Hamas’ horrific Oct. 7 terror attack.
Botner, who has seen many things over his more than two decades helping those in peril, said Israel has always had its struggles and battles, but that the past 12 months of war and chaos have been especially intense.
“Unfortunately, we can’t see the end,” he said of the nation’s ongoing war against terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah. “Of course, we are more optimistic these days from the day on Oct. 7, but we still cannot see the end.”
Botner recalled hearing dozens of sirens last Oct. 7. Initially, he assumed it was a false alarm, but he immediately jumped into action once he started being alerted that injuries unfolded.
“I realized it’s not a false alarm, and I realized that something big, and different — unusual — is happening,” he said. “So … I put on my uniforms, went [in] my car towards the place they need me.”
Listen to Botner share his story:
Botner and other paramedics jumped into gear to rescue the injured but still had no idea of the actual size or scope of Hamas’ terror attack. In many ways, they were literally — and figuratively — flying blind, as they were operating amid a warzone.
It wasn’t until he was in the air and starting rescues that Botner realized some of what was happening on the ground.
“We’re flying above the south of Israel [and] we saw a picture,” he said. “It was like taken out of a war movie. I saw smoke everywhere … and we saw … like a black screen and fire all over the south of Israel. That was unbelievable.”
Botner continued, “And while I’m looking at over and over again, I think like I’m looking [at] a Hollywood movie.”
The more they flew over Israeli cities and saw black smoke, the more ominous their realization that something had gone profoundly wrong. Then, as the day and week progressed, Botner and his team found themselves treating an “unbelievable” number of people.
He recalled helping one woman who was shot at the Nova Music Festival and was forced to hide under corpses — something he said he “never thought” he’d hear.
In addition to the physical injuries, the mental afflictions Botner witnessed were also tragic.
“I saw people mentally unstable because of the things that they saw,” he said.
Another man injured at the Nova Music Festival was a police officer who had lost a lot of blood after being shot in the stomach and left for hours.
“When we took him to the helicopter, he opened his eyes, and he asked me if he’s alive or dead,” Botner said. “He [didn’t] even know if he’s still alive. I never heard something like that from a person who needs my help.”
In the chaos of war, Botner didn’t know what happened to that police officer until, weeks later, his brother-in-law — also a cop — reached out to him to inquire about a friend who had been shot and treated. This individual was the very officer Botner had helped.
“I was so happy,” he said of learning about the cop’s survival. “For his family, for his daughter … and a few weeks later … we met.”
It was an emotional and moving moment amid a sea of unfathomable pain and struggle.
Botner also reflected on the pain and worry his own family faced as they feared for his safety in the field. When he was finally able to go home and spend time with his four children, his 10-year-old said something that drove home the pervasiveness of the terror attack.
“[At bedtime] she asked me if I can come with her to her room,” he said. “To make sure that no one was under the bed planning to kidnap her in the middle of the night. That was shocking for me.”
Botner continued, “That’s heartbreaking.”
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The paramedic said this was the toughest moment of everything he faced — an interaction that left him with some important and difficult realizations.
“That broke my heart,” Botner said. “I realized that we have gone through a huge event that’s going to change our life forever.”
Ultimately, he said Israel wants to have a “normal life” after the horrors inflicted on Oct. 7. And Botner also has a message for the West, particularly the U.S. and Europe — and especially for those who believe this is Israel’s battle alone.
“Regardless if they like or dislike Israel, if you will not stand next to us right now, you will be next,” he said. “Look what’s happening in Europe. The governments in Europe, the antisemitic waves in Europe, the growing of the radical Islamic groups in Europe, and even in the [United States]. Look at the universities. Look what’s happening now. You are gonna be next.”
He continued, “That’s what you need to realize. You don’t have to like us, you don’t have to be a fan of Jewish or Israeli people. If you will not open your eyes and see the radical groups growing, you will be next.”
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