The policeman who survived the inferno: Staff Sergeant Uriel Ouzan was among the first to enter Bari in two bulletproof jeeps in order to rescue the besieged residents from the inferno. But in the kibbutz, Hamas terrorists prepared a surprise for them - in the form of advanced RPG missiles with double warheads and Soviet armor-piercing machine guns. Within seconds, the jeeps turned into large fireballs. Their nine occupants were killed on the spot - except for Uzan, the driver who miraculously survived.
When the campaign began, on Saturday, October 7, a police COGAT unit was deployed to fight terrorists in the surrounding communities. The unit routinely enforces real estate matters and responds to exceptional events, such as riots and demonstrations.
Kingfisher forces in Kibbutz Be'eri and rescue of kibbutz residents | IDF Spokesperson
"There was a fog of battle, the situation was not real," says the unit's commander, Lt. Col. Eyal Raon. "At around 11:30 A.M., we realized that there were civilians calling for help, and that we had to rescue them. In retrospect, we understood that terrorists had entered the community at around 7:00 A.M. and carried out a pogrom there. We didn't qualify for an event of this magnitude. We thought of fifteen terrorists, not two thousand."
Even when they arrived at Bari, the picture was unclear. The decision was made to enter with two bulletproof jeeps for scanning. The force was led by Superintendent Vadim Blich, z"l, who was sitting in the jeep driven by Ozan. The fighters could, most of the terrorists, until they were shot.
The place where the jeep exploded in Kibbutz Be'eri, photo: Israel Police Spokesperson's Office
"We identified three terrorists on the road who were trying to escape," Ozan recalls. "I ran over one of them, one ran out of the kibbutz and one into it. We started chasing him, and suddenly we got hit by an RPG." The jeep rose in the air and landed, killing the occupants of the jeeps instantly. Those who survived the missile did not survive the firing of armor-piercing machine guns.
In the exchange of fire, the unit's fighters managed to eliminate 22 terrorists. The only one who survived was Uzan, who managed to escape from his jeep for cover while suffering an injury. Earlier, he had sent the rescue force a waypoint.
"I ran to the shelter shouting to God not to be hit by the bullets," Ozan recalls. "Vadim saved my life. He was hit by a bullet while changing a magazine, and even after he was hit, he continued to shoot through a slit in the jeep and drew the fire at him."
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