An observer at the border in Gaza: “I did my best until they shot Pascal”

“My friends, I’m fine, God bless, thanks to those who care. I came to the end of my last Shabbat in the IDF and in my worst dreams I never imagined such a thing. I got up for the 4 am shift, a shift that turned out to be a nightmare. I never thought in my life that I would see something like this at the observatory. I did my best until I was whipped with Pascal.

“We all fought as well as possible, the 51st Battalion, to whom I bow, did everything to protect us.Yes, they surprised us and we weren’t ready for it, half an order of forces (arrangement of forces) at home in the ‘regular’ of Sukkot, a weekend order, and no intelligence information about it.Two minutes ago, we were singing songs in the vigil. The night before I sat until the wee hours of the night with my fighting friends, and today some of them are gone.

“I took care of the wounded while terrorists roamed my base, my second home, and murdered my friends. I prepared for this moment for two years, but nothing prepares you for the moment of truth.Crazy noise, blood everywhere, while they tell you that your friend is ‘haunted’ (dead in the language of the army) you have to dress up and do everything so that the morale in HML doesn’t go down, that hope remains because that’s all there was.16 hours locked in a small HML with a lot of hope and prayers. What a miracle. A magical end to two amazing years. And now please say goodbye to the soldiers, that we will arrive home safely.”