Israeli Soldier Recalls Being Shot 12 Times By Hamas, Playing Dead To Survive

An Israeli soldier has revealed that she was shot 12 times by Hamas operatives during their October 7 attack, giving details about her survival. In an emotional post on October7.org, a website with a list of survivor stories, First Lieutenant Eden Ram said she lay motionless among her dead friends "waiting for the final bullet". Israel said 1,200 people were killed when Hamas fighters raided border towns, kibbutzim and a music festival, and more than 200 hostages taken to Hamas-ruled Gaza.

The soldier started the post with, "So this is my story, the horror movie I lived through on Saturday, October 7, 2023."

The First Lieutenant then said she was trapped in a room along with six of her colleagues after being shot in the leg. The seven soldiers couldn't do anything but wait until Hamas blew through every security door until they finally reached the IDF troops, unleashing a volley of gunfire on them.

"Throughout this I was not sure if I was dead or alive, I felt dead, but I could still see and hear and feel. I waited for the final bullet that would hit me and kill me, but it never came," wrote First Lieutenant Eden Ram.

The soldier further said that she was lying in a pool of own blood between the bodies of her friends for four hours as terrorists checked on the bodies.

While waiting to be rescued, she suddenly felt the breath of her friend, Sahar, who also survived the attack.

"She took off her uniform to give me first aid. I began to touch my whole body to see where I was hit, how much I am bleeding, and how much time I have to live. I felt like I was dying," wrote the soldier.

"Then after four hours of playing dead, while I was in so much pain but I couldn't say a word, angels came to save me. They took me to Soroka hospital (in Be'er Sheva) and on the way I immediately asked to call my family and tell them that I was alive against all odds," she added.

The first 48 hours in the hospital were gruelling as she received two life-saving operations, with doctors putting her on ventilation for the next three days while keeping her heavily sedated.

The First Lieutenant has recovered fast and is already walking again. She received an award from Israel President Isaac Herzog for her valour on October 7.