Major A's daughter in charge of the Goals Bank in Gaza flew to Kiev before the Israeli closure • When we learned of the approaching closure "We started the race to get Sophie home"

Major A (35) from Be'er Sheva immigrated to Israel in 1999 to attend an Israeli high school, enlist in the army and fulfill his Zionist dream - to start a family in the State of Israel. In Division 401.

After his role as an armored officer, he decided to retrain and embark on a pilot course, which he successfully passed and became a pilot. Currently, A serves as a fire center in the Southern Command and is responsible for his role on the Bank of Targets in the Gaza Strip.

About a month ago, his 5-year-old daughter Sophie flew with her aunt to Kiev to visit her grandmother. "The plan was to pick it up at Pesach from Kiev and go on a family vacation in Europe," says I. What they did not plan for was the spread of the world's corona virus and with it the closure of the sky, which caused Sophie to get stuck in Kiev while her father and mother remained in Israel.

The gates of the world countries began to close and all flights to Ukraine were canceled and A. and his wife began their own private rescue operation. "We started the race against time to bring Sophie home," says A.

Weeks of attempts to bring Sophie back were unsuccessful, when last Friday, A learned about the rescue flights from Israir. "I knew I had to take the opportunity," he recalls. "In a joint decision with my wife and realizing that Ukraine's gates may be closing soon, we decided to bring Sophie to flight with flight attendants." Throughout the process, several challenges emerged, including Sophie's young age, which was a major factor in the decision. "I know some of the pilots in the company, we served on the squadron together for years and they helped me a lot to get the permits to bring my daughter back safely."

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But that wasn't the end of the story. During those stressful hours, when his daughter makes her way home after months of not seeing her, a red color alarm sounds in the intense envelope. Major A. did not leave his commitment to the IDF and the state, and at the same time continued in his important role, taking part in the defense and attack effort in the Gaza Strip.

After a few hours, after passing three different teams, little Sophie Sophie came to her father and family in Israel. Her long and challenging journey has come to an end. "I am proud of my country and I am excited about all the people who gave me a hand and helped me to restore my daughter, straighten out my strength," A concludes the long journey home.