• Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Investing
  • Stock
Editor's Pick

Saving lives on ‘Death Street,’ how an Israeli kindergarten teacher became a battlefield hero on October 7

by October 7, 2024
written by October 7, 2024

Tali Hadad is a 49-year-old mother of six and a kindergarten teacher whose days would normally be spent teaching basic reading, math and social skills to 5-year-olds. She never imagined that one day she would be forced to make life-or-death decisions while under fire in the middle of a war zone. 

But on Oct. 7, 2023, she was thrust into unimaginable circumstances.

As Hamas launched its assault at 6:45 a.m., she awoke to the sound of sirens and gunfire in her hometown of Ofakim, a small, working-class city in southern Israel 15 miles from the border with Gaza. The piercing alarms that filled the air signaled this was not an ordinary rocket attack, to which much of the region had, over the course of many years, become accustomed.

Hadad instantly knew her family was in grave danger.

Her son, Itamar, a soldier in officer training, was home on leave for the weekend. As the sounds of gunfire grew closer, he grabbed his rifle, fully aware that there was fighting just outside their door. Without hesitation, he ran toward the terrorists. Hadad, still in her pajamas, quickly slipped on running shoes and chased after him, her instincts as a mother taking over.

‘I ran toward the playground,’ Hadad told Fox News Digital. ‘I hid behind a wall and saw a line of terrorists walking with rifles, heading in the direction where my son had gone.’ Moments later, she heard gunshots. ‘I knew Itamar was in the middle of it. I waited, hoping he would come out, but he didn’t. So, I ran toward him.’

Dodging through alleys while gunfire rang out around her, Hadad saw the devastation unfold. ‘People were yelling from windows, begging for help,’ she said. ‘But there were no ambulances coming, no one to save them.’

Then, she saw Itamar. He had been shot multiple times – in the stomach, leg and thigh. Two of his comrades lay dead on the ground beside him.

‘He looked at me and said, ‘Mom, what are you doing here?’ I told him, ‘You’re hurt, I’m going to take you to the hospital,’’ she recalled.

With gunfire still echoing around her, Hadad sprinted back to her house, jumped into the family car and drove straight back to her son. ‘They put Itamar in the car, along with more of the wounded, and I drove as fast as I could, 120 kilometers per hour, to the Magen David Adom station (Israel’s national emergency medical service) at the entrance to the city,’ she said. ‘I knew if I drove slowly, the terrorists would shoot me.’

After handing Itamar over to the paramedics, she made a fateful decision. ‘I told him, ‘Mom isn’t coming with you. You’ll go in the ambulance, I’ll join you later. I have to go back and help the others.’’

Hadad returned to the scene of the fighting and made three more trips to rescue 13 people in total, all while under constant fire. ‘People tried to stop me,’ she said. ‘They told me it was too dangerous, but I took Itamar’s rifle, and I knew this was something I had to do. I had no choice but to act.’

After hours of intense fighting involving police officers, forces from the Yamam special-operations unit, armed civilians and off-duty soldiers, Israeli forces regained control of the town. A helicopter arrived to evacuate the wounded. Only then was Hadad able to step away from her role as a rescuer and check on her son at the hospital. Itamar had survived, but his road to recovery would be long.

‘Half of the rehabilitation is physical, and half is mental,’ Itamar Hadad told Fox News Digital, reflecting on the traumatic events of that day, the friends he lost in the battle, and those he has lost since in Gaza, where his unit, Sayeret Nahal, has suffered many casualties. Despite the pain, his dream remains to return to his unit and continue fighting in the ongoing multi-front war.

On Oct. 7, 47 of Ofakim’s 50,000 residents were murdered, and the street where Hadad lives became known as Rechov Ha’Mavet – ‘Death Street.’

A year after the attack, Ofakim is rebuilding. Death Street, once a symbol of horror, has been renovated. The city has built a memorial, painted murals and planted olive trees – a sign of life replacing the destruction.

‘We’ve gathered the pieces, all the memories of the victims, and we’re trying to bring life back to the place that was destroyed,’ Hadad said.

Ofakim was not among the many towns and settlements in the south that were resettled in other parts of Israel. But the psychological scars remain. The waiting list for trauma counseling has grown, overwhelming the available therapists. In response, the Israel Psychoanalytic Society and the NGO IsraAid established a multidisciplinary trauma center, offering free mental health support to survivors of the massacre.

Hadad, like many others in Ofakim, and in the entire country, continues to struggle with the emotional aftermath. ‘We’re still bleeding,’ she said. For her, the experience was life-changing. She hasn’t returned to work since the attack, choosing, instead, to stay home and care for Itamar. Five of her six children are serving in the IDF, either on active duty or in the reserves. At the moment, two of them are fighting in Gaza. Her youngest daughter will enter the army in a month. 

The community of Ofakim continues to heal, but the memories of Oct. 7 will never fade. ‘We remember how our children ran through the streets barefoot, fighting like lions. No politicians come here anymore. No tour buses arrive. But we remember. We will always remember,’ Hadad said. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
0 comment
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

previous post
As Apple enters AI race, iPhone maker turns to its army of developers for an edge
next post
Kamala Harris should prosecute Big Pharma, not bail it out

related articles

Trump denounces court’s ‘political’ tariff decision, calls on...

May 30, 2025

President Trump teases ‘last day, but not really’...

May 30, 2025

State Dept says DOGE’s changes will be permanent...

May 30, 2025

Jill Biden should have to answer for ‘cover...

May 29, 2025

DOGE staffing shakeup as Elon Musk hangs up...

May 29, 2025

Hawley urges DOJ probe of Chinese trucking company

May 29, 2025

Less than half of DOGE-terminated contracts can be...

May 29, 2025

Flashback: Top five wildest moments from Elon Musk’s...

May 29, 2025

Sen Ron Johnson suggests he may not run...

May 29, 2025

Justice Department tells American Bar Association it will...

May 29, 2025
Enter Your Information Below To Receive Free Trading Ideas, Latest News, And Articles.


Your information is secure and your privacy is protected. By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!

Latest News

  • Dogecoin and Shiba Inu: New Support and Resistance Levels

    October 10, 2024
  • Nikkei in limited recovery in first two days of this week

    September 11, 2024
  • Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest sold Roku, Robinhood on Thursday: here’s what it bought

    February 14, 2025
  • Biden saying ‘Don’t’ and other threats seemingly fail to deter Iran as more US Mideast bases hit

    August 11, 2024
  • Trump names Herschel Walker, Nicole McGraw to ambassador positions before issuing warning to GOP senators

    December 18, 2024

Popular Posts

  • 1

    Secret Service admits leaning on ‘state and local partners’ after claim it ignored Trump team’s past requests

    July 21, 2024
  • 2

    Elon and Vivek should tackle US funding for this boondoogle organization and score a multimillion dollar win

    December 4, 2024
  • 3

    Forex Profit Calculator: Maximize Your Trading Potential

    July 10, 2024
  • 4

    Five more House Democrats call on Biden to drop out, third US senator

    July 19, 2024
  • 5

    Biden calls to ‘lower the temperature’ then bashes Trump in NAACP speech

    July 17, 2024

Categories

  • Economy (829)
  • Editor's Pick (4,723)
  • Investing (624)
  • Stock (773)

Latest Posts

  • Biden admin faces mounting pressure to allow Ukraine to strike inside Russia with US missiles

    September 13, 2024
  • GOP Rep. Joe Wilson trumpets ‘Make Iraq Great Again!’ message

    February 28, 2025
  • Cozy ties between top Newsom ally and CCP official unearthed on networking site: ‘She helped me a lot’

    March 12, 2025

Recent Posts

  • Trump victory boosts conservatives in Latin America, wake-up call to dictators: ‘there will be consequences’

    December 2, 2024
  • Assassination attempt on Trump at Pennsylvania rally leaves 2 hurt, 2 dead, including shooter

    July 14, 2024
  • The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the House voting to avoid a government shutdown today

    March 11, 2025

Editor’s Pick

  • Trump, Senate GOP budget leaders huddle at White House on reconciliation bill

    April 2, 2025
  • Jimmy Carter was a man of faith and that’s how we should remember him 

    January 9, 2025
  • EURUSD and GBPUSD: Euro under pressure drops below

    September 27, 2024
  • About us
  • Contacts
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Disclaimer: moneyrisetoday.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

Copyright © 2025 moneyrisetoday.com | All Rights Reserved

Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Investing
  • Stock