Last Saturday, Dr. Tareq Abu Arar, a Muslim doctor who volunteers with United Hatzalah, left his home in Ar'ara in the Negev for a shift at Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon.
When he reached an intersection near Sderot, he encountered a man who looked injured and was lying on the side of the road, near the road. "At the time, there were no reports of infiltration by terrorists," Dr. Abu Arar said. "20 minutes earlier there was a red alert alert, so I decided to put on the bulletproof vest I received from United Hatzalah and go. When I saw the 'injured' man on the side of the road, of course I immediately stopped to help him."
"I started to get closer to him, because he looked like a soldier lying on the side of the road," he continued. "When I was about 50 meters away from him, he motioned for me to come closer to him. I walked a few more steps, and when I got about 10 meters away from him, he shot me in the chest. I started screaming and praying, convinced I was going to die. I didn't understand what was happening, and then I heard someone shouting in Arabic, 'Stop, stop, he's an Arab.' That's when I realized they were Hamas terrorists."
Hamas terrorists at the entrance to the gate of Kibbutz Kfar Azza, on Saturday, photo: AP.
"When I looked back, I saw about 10 other men in military clothes who came out from behind the bushes and started interrogating me in Arabic," he continued. "They asked me questions to test my knowledge of Islam. They had Kalashnikovs and very advanced military equipment, and they wore green uniforms that looked very similar to IDF uniforms."
"They pinned me to a pole and told me: 'That's it, we have a hostage, the IDF can't eliminate us from the air anymore' – and then they started shooting at every car that passed by," he explained. "Unfortunately, for two hours they made sure to kill everyone who crossed their path. It was horrific. When the army arrived on the scene, a shootout ensued between the terrorists and the soldiers, with the terrorists serving as human shields."
Documentation: IDF forces prepare for prolonged fighting in Gaza // Photo: IDF Spokesperson
"One of the terrorists shot me in the leg and signaled with his hand that the next bullet would be in my head. I started bleeding pretty heavily. All this time I prayed for a miracle. I was convinced I was going to die. This went on for about 45 minutes, until a SWAT commando force arrived and eliminated the terrorists and rescued me alive. They put a tourniquet on my leg, and the ambulance that arrived took me to Soroka Hospital, where they treated me and released me a few hours later."
"It was the worst experience of my life," Dr. Abu Arar continued. "I have dedicated my entire life to helping others and saving lives, both as a doctor and as a volunteer at United Hatzalah. I was forced against my will to witness this terrible massacre being carried out before my eyes, and there was nothing I could do. It was horrific, I have no words to describe it, just terrible."
Bodies covered near a building set on fire by terrorists in Kibbutz Be'eri, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
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