Lieutenant Tamir in rehabilitation in Hadassah Mount Scopus/courtesy of those photographed
After weeks of fighting in the Gaza Strip and leading many operational operations, Tamir's force encountered a difficult - almost impossible - challenge during a mission in the field.
"We entered the building and my sergeant recognized a squad of terrorists from the building next to us that started throwing grenades at us."
Tamir understood that their initial task was to neutralize the terrorists who were right in the building next to them.
He divided the force when half of the fighters remained on the upper floor of the building and some went down to the lower floor, with the aim of moving to the building where the terrorists are, as he heads the force: "As a commander, at the moment of trouble you feel that you are the one who has to stand first. There is no substitute for that."
The fighters of the Nahal Battalion, together with fighters from the Sting Unit, began an attack on the building where the terrorists were staying: "This is a moment when we fighters look at each other and realize that we are fighting to the end.
I look back at my fighters, make sure they are okay and give orders and move forward."
The fighters arrived at the building and began firing shells and throwing grenades at the door, when after a few moments a grenade was thrown at them and fell right where they were standing. "The grenade fell right between our legs and then the shooting started from the house toward us." A few seconds before the grenade detonated, the fighters returned fire and managed to neutralize the shooting terrorist while at the same time more grenades were thrown at them from the building. "It was a squad with a large number of terrorists.
After we managed to neutralize the terrorist, I fell backwards from the grenade explosion and then I realized that I was injured."
When he was lying on the floor, Tamir realized that he had been shot in his left leg and his hands were wounded. "I tried to grab the weapon to return fire and I failed.
My hands were hit by shrapnel and were full of blood." Fully conscious and when he was in severe pain, the fighters began to pull Tamir back while placing a tourniquet on his leg: "I am conscious and they are pulling me out under fire.
All this time we are being shot at and the bullets pass over me.
I felt like I was going to die because if at this moment the terrorist had decided to throw another grenade, I probably wouldn't be here."
Tamir was taken by helicopter to the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital where he underwent surgeries on his hand and leg and after recovery he moved to the Gandel Rehabilitation Center at the Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital .
Lieutenant Tamir in rehabilitation in Hadassah Mount Scopus/courtesy of those photographed
Lieutenant Tamir in rehabilitation in Hadassah Mount Scopus/courtesy of those photographed
These days, except when he is working with determination to regain the abilities he lost due to the injury, his heart and thoughts are far away - in the south, with his soldiers.
"There is no doubt that during my entire stay here at Hadassah, I am getting stronger, training and thinking about my soldiers non-stop. The rehabilitation team at Hadassah is amazing. They give me all the tools and support to reach my goal - to return and fight together with my fighters."
Michal Abel, a physiotherapist at the rehabilitation center at Hadassah Mount Scopus, who treats Tamir, says that "Tamir came to us for rehabilitation after being injured by a bullet in the hand and shrapnel in the thigh. In the physiotherapy treatments, we work on strengthening the muscles and perform exercises for the hand and dealing with pain. At the beginning of the process, Tamir was in a wheelchair , today he is already walking on crutches. He has a very high motivation for rehabilitation and thanks to this I am sure he will reach a high level of functioning."
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War of Iron Swords