Brotherhood in Battle Remembered
“Nothing Else Mattered”: Soldier Recalls Commander’s Heroic Rescue in Jenin
A dramatic rescue operation in Jenin where an IDF lieutenant risked his life to save a wounded soldier during Operation 'Summer Camps', showcasing extraordinary bravery under fire.
One year after a dramatic rescue in Jenin, new details have emerged about a heroic commander who risked his life to save a wounded soldier. During a training exercise for a squad commander course, a soldier, identified as S., was hit by a sniper's bullet. His platoon commander, Lieutenant A., heard his cries and immediately charged into heavy enemy fire to pull him to safety.
The incident took place in August 2024 during Operation 'Summer Camps,' when soldiers were conducting a patrol in Jenin. S. and another soldier were on guard when they spotted suspicious figures in a window. "We aimed our weapons and didn't see anything specific, just shadows," S. recalled. Moments later, they came under fire, and S. was struck by a bullet.
From a different floor of the building, Lieutenant A., who was a platoon commander at the time, heard the gunshots.
"We heard the shots and all tried to get our bearings," he said. "Then I heard screams from the window, and I saw my soldier on the floor. From that point on, nothing else mattered: I sprinted downstairs to get him."
A Race Against Time
Without a moment's hesitation, Lieutenant A. ran down the stairs, shouting orders at his soldiers. When he reached the ground floor, he found S. bleeding, with his friend providing cover. Acting with speed and determination, Lieutenant A. called out, "Negev 7, come!" to a fellow soldier, adding,
"I'm going out with a squad, lay down covering fire, and I need guys to provide covering fire from above, and I'll extract them, let's go."
Under a hail of bullets, Lieutenant A. and the other soldier advanced toward the wounded S. "Give fire, give fire!" the commander yelled as they reached the two soldiers and pulled them back into the safety of the building.
When asked why he put his life on the line, Lieutenant A. gave a simple, honest answer:
"Why did I do it? Because it's the most important thing in the world to me, my soldiers are the most important thing there is."
The first time S. saw the dramatic rescue was two weeks later, when Lieutenant A. and the entire platoon visited him at the hospital. Watching the videos from a new perspective was a profound experience for S., who had only experienced the moment from his own limited view.
"Suddenly seeing the video, and that A. didn't wait a second and told the Negev gunner, 'Come with me,' and then they went out, it's insane in itself. It's incredibly brave, and it makes you realize how much your friends and commanders will do for you."