Emergency Squad Heroes Rehabilitate Together

Ayal Young of Kibbutz Alumim and Haim Yusonov of Kibbutz Zikim – both fighters in their kibbutz emergency squads – were injured in battle while defending their homes on the morning of Saturday, October 7^th. Haim and Ayal have been discharged from Reuth’s inpatient department where they underwent intensive rehabilitation and continue to receive treatment at our day rehabilitation center.

They recount their harrowing experiences:

Haim, 35, married with two daughters, grabbed his gear and rifle as soon as rockets aimed at Zikim were launched. “On my way to the fields, I realized there was an encounter with terrorists near the kibbutz. I saw a terrorist vehicle outside the kibbutz and one of ours engaged in a gunfight with them. It took us time to grasp the extent of what was happening. Bullets shrieking above our heads, grenades. I was wounded by a grenade a terrorist threw and, together with a wounded friend, crawled backward. It was only then, when crawling wounded and bleeding, that I first came to comprehend what we were facing. I knew that if they were to throw another grenade at me, there was no chance I’d survive. There was also the constant fear for my wife and daughters. I gradually lost feeling in my leg and was afraid I’d lose it. I have an injured nerve in my left leg, the inner bone is broken, and there is shrapnel. I felt fear, but my body continued to function automatically in a cold sort of way. Our emergency squad continued to fight until 2 o’clock in the morning, warding off terrorists.”

Ayal, 36, a married father of four from kibbutz Alumim recounts, “70 terrorists infiltrated our kibbutz. We fought tenaciously for hours and managed to force them into a corner of the kibbutz until the IDF arrived. We were alone in combat. I was hit by a bullet in my shoulder – my entire upper back is shattered, shattered ribs, a punctured lung. I also have shrapnel in my body. Mobility in my right arm is very limited, I have trouble breathing and my body’s exhausted. The Gaza border communities defended the entire country with their bodies. If we hadn’t stopped them, they would have gone on, also to Tel Aviv. Our children deserve to grow up in peace. My biggest dream now is to pick up my children, to work out. That’s when I’ll feel that I am becoming myself again – physically and mentally. Here at Reuth, I feel great, I’m receiving treatment and they are taking care of me. I believe that in the end, we’ll come out stronger and more united.”