"My commander died but saved my life."

Oriel Uzan, a police officer from the Matpa-National Enforcement unit, was among the first policemen to arrive at Kibbutz Be’eri and the only one who survived out of nine policemen from the unit. He was wounded and still says, "I would do it 200 more times if I had to."

I was with my wife and child at my parents' house in Beit Shemesh. At 7:30 a.m. I received a phone call from my sergeant and I was sent to the unit. He told me to get organized for a few days. We didn't know what was happening in the country, only that there was an infiltration of terrorists. I took my equipment and left.

We were told that we needed to go to Kibbutz Be’eri. On our way, we passed through Ashkelon and Sderot. We didn't know what was happening yet. On the way to Be’eri, I slowly began to digest what was happening. I led the convoy with an armored vehicle, and we drove among bodies on the road, burned cars, burned people, horrors. It was the longest drive I've ever had in my life. We arrived at the entrance of Be’eri, where we were joined by two officers and Ziv Chopin, a member of Be’eri who knows the kibbutz and had to guide us into it.

We entered the kibbutz in two jeeps. I led the trip. As we entered, the first image that caught my eye was a baby's seat full of blood, a baby outside the seat, and the bodies of women, children. I got stuck in the car. I was unable to drive until my officer Chief Superintendent Vadim Blich said that we must continue driving and save lives. I continued driving. I spotted three terrorists -- two were wearing IDF uniforms, and the third was in civilian clothes. As soon as they recognized the police jeep, they ran away. I started a chase and ran over the first terrorist. The other two managed to get out of the kibbutz. I ran over outside the fence in the orchard. The second jeep ran over another terrorist, and the third one disappeared. After a short turn, I found him 300 meters back in the kibbutz, so I started chasing him. When I entered the kibbutz, I saw him enter the street to the right. I turned right and heard a loud whistle. An RPG shot at us and hit between the hood and the windshield where I was. The jeep rose about 10 meters in the air and landed back on the road. There was smoke and the smell of fuel. We didn't see anything. Kalashnikovs and grenades started shooting at us. I looked at myself – I wasn't missing an arm or a leg. I looked at my friends and saw that they were all fine. I received shrapnel on the right side, and at that point my hand stopped functioning. I looked in the mirror and saw the other jeep was coming.

When it arrived, they were shot by RPGs that hit the jeep, which exploded. First Sgt. Eliran Avragil jumped wounded from the vehicle and started fighting. He attacked the terrorists, eliminated them, and entered the house from which they shot at us. At that point, I lost sight of him. I told Sgt. First Class Oral Shalom Alon to start fighting. There was shooting. We were firing. As we opened and closed the jeep doors, Oral was hit by a sniper bullet in the lower body, and Vadim started fighting. They eliminated terrorists, and I joined the fighting with my left hand. There was a long fight. There were a lot of terrorists. We didn't think it was of such a magnitude that we encountered about 40 terrorists.

While fighting, my officer changed a cartridge and took a bundle in the stomach and a bullet in the hand. He reported to the contact that he took a bullet in the hand; he was not aware that he also took a bullet in the stomach. I took out a bandage and tried to help him, but the place where he was wounded didn't allow me to help him. He was barely breathing. We didn't speak, we only looked at each other. It was quiet in the jeep, despite the shooting. We looked at each other. I held him with my left hand by his arm. Just by the look, you understood how proud he was of what he was doing. At that moment, I realized what kind of commander I had, what kind of officer I had, a human being who was ready to donate his life for citizens like me.

We opened the jeep door, charged at the terrorists 20 meters ahead while I was being shot at the whole run. I said, ‘God, just don't let them hurt me.’ I hid behind a car. I took a few breaths and returned to fight with the weapon in my left hand and shot in the direction of the terrorists and the house. After firing two cartridges, I felt that I was losing consciousness. I didn't know that I was wounded by a bullet in the knee. I sent a mobile location to a fighter outside the kibbutz and fell back. After a few minutes, I woke up and continued.

The fighter to whom I sent my location arrived with two armored vehicles to rescue me. They were shot by an RPG that missed the jeep. A paramedic and medics took me outside the kibbutz. I received medical treatment until I was evacuated to Barzilai Hospital. From there, I was transferred by helicopter to Beilinson Hospital. They defined me as moderate plus. I had surgery on my knee, and they removed a bullet. After a few days of hospitalization, I was discharged home. Just a week ago I started rehabilitation and am slowly getting stronger.

The soldier said that thanks to me telling him that there were terrorists 60 meters ahead, they surrounded them, and they had no casualties on the team. He called to thank me. That's something I didn't remember, and now I know.

Eight of us entered from the MPA unit, and only I remained alive. That is what I learned while I was hospitalized.

Chief Superintendent Vadim Blich; Superintendent Dan Ganot; Sgt. Major Boris Danilov; Sgt. First Class Dor Mangedi; Chief Superintendent Martin Kuzmiskis; Sgt. First Class Gadif Mulugta; and First Sgt Eliran Avragl all died.

At the moment, I am in rehabilitation. My direction is certainly to return to the unit. Especially after the event we went through, we will return to protect the citizens of Israel and continue the path of my commander and the friends who protected the citizens with their souls. There is no doubt that this is the direction. With God's help, I will finish rehabilitation and treatments and return to my family.

We need to stay united as is happening now. It gives strength to the soldiers and policemen, and thanks to this we will win. Only love and unity.