Yakov Vaknin, 21, a soldier from Be’er Sheva who worked as a driver in the Gaza Division of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), was at the Kisufim military base in southern Israel on the 7th. /ten. That Saturday, he and his comrades were surrounded when Hamas attackers threw a bomb, 20 grenades, explosives and opened fire on their position.
Portrait of Israeli soldier Yakov Vaknin. IT photo
“At about 7:25 a.m., the fighting first started, and only I and one other armed comrade remained in the bomb shelter. The militant group (Hamas) shot at us and threw about 20 grenades at our position, some of them exploded and some did not. We tried to throw some grenades out. But I was injured, my leg was bleeding,” Vaknin recounted.
“At 9:30, they threw a big bomb and it rolled towards us. We all lay close to the wall, and it rolled toward the door. I realized it would explode within seconds. If it explodes near us, none of us can survive,” he added.
“I approached the bomb and with my remaining strength, I pushed it away with my still working right foot. It rolled to the other side of the wall and exploded. At that moment, my whole body tensed up,” Vaknin said.
“It was not an ordinary explosion. My ears were ringing. The smoke was thick and dark, leaving the shelter in darkness for 5 minutes. I realized the gunmen could get inside, so I shot at them.” door. I only had two bullets left. I asked a teammate to bring me another soldier’s weapon. I aimed at the gap and told myself: ‘Whatever happens happens,'” the soldier Israel recounted.
He added: “Later, I spotted a gunman and told myself I had to kill him, otherwise he would pay attention to us. I attacked him. To my right, a female soldier sat and didn’t say a word for hours after losing consciousness. Then she woke up and started screaming, I tried to cover her mouth to keep her quiet. She asked me to hold her hand.”
When Vaknin tried to stand up, he felt his legs wouldn’t work. “I was conscious but bleeding. I had a broken bone in my left leg, a bullet in my hand, shrapnel lodged in my body and broken ribs,” he said.
The Ukrainian soldier is recovering. IT photo
Vaknin was only evacuated to the hospital on Saturday evening, October 7. He was seriously injured and was evacuated to Soroka Medical Center, where he is being treated in the rehabilitation department. He is currently still in the process of recovery.
“I hope within a month or two, I will be able to stand up for myself. I want to return to the army and complete my full duty. They need us. That is the motivation that gives me the strength to move on,” the Israeli soldier emphasized.
Vaknin’s comrades who died in the battle for Kisufim on October 7 were Major Raz Peretz, Staff Sergeant Benyamin Belay and Staff Sergeant Brando David Flores Garcia.