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World Jewish News
'I thought I could be kidnapped, then I thought of my daughter'
27.04.2009
"The explosion took a split second. You feel very strong ringing in your ears, smoke all around. For a few seconds you don't understand what is happening. I looked to the right and saw the tracker next to me was seriously wounded. I tried to talk to him, and then realized I was also wounded."
This is how Maj. Falah al-Haib, an officer with the Givati Brigade Desert Patrol Battalion, a unit of Bedouin trackers, described the January 27 incident that left him seriously wounded. It was early morning, and the soldiers were trying find a route to the Gaza border fence. It was 10 days after Operation Cast Lead ended. A bomb went off as their armored jeep passed. The tracker next to Al-Haib, a 23-year-old man, apparently was killed on the spot. His identity has not been released, at the request of his family.
"I tried to speak, while feeling my legs," Al-Haib continued. "I saw both were wounded. All kinds of visions started running through my head. First I thought about whether terrorists were in the area, and the prospect of being kidnapped occurred to me. I have known this sector for nine years and understand the risk. I also thought about Gilad Shalit. And then I thought about my 3-year-old daughter Shama."
After a double explosion, Al-Haib knew he had to get away from the jeep before it came under enemy fire. He dragged himself over the tracker's body, opened the door and used his arms to throw himself from the vehicle. A few seconds later, a rocket-propelled grenade hit the jeep. Al-Haib crawled about 10 meters, where he was rescued.
"I knew my right leg was injured. What was left of it was connected by a small piece of flesh. My left leg was also badly injured. I asked my signal operator to apply a tourniquet. He said he didn't have one, so I pulled two out of my uniform. I asked him to tie it as tightly as possible. I felt my two legs falling asleep. I saw a lot of blood. I tried to wipe the blood off my face and then I noticed a big hole in my right arm."
An army doctor arrived within 10 minutes. A helicopter took him to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, where Al-Haib asked that his father be called so that he could calm down his wife and the other family members.
"I told my father to take care of the children if something happens to me. I didn't know if I would survive surgery," he said.
Al-Haib's right leg was amputated, but his left leg was saved.
Last Sunday, Al-Haib was was promoted in a Southern Command ceremony that included GOC Yoav Galant.
"I call on all of the boys in the Bedouin community, and tell them that under no circumstances should this incident stop them from serving in the IDF," Al-Haib said.
Источник: Haaretz
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