Ofir Peretz, a veteran Magen David Adom paramedic and the partner of paramedic Amit Mann, of blessed memory, was with her on the night of Simchat Torah at her apartment in Kibbutz Be’eri. With the start of the sirens and rocket fire, Ofir left for the shift to which he had been pre-assigned at the Magen David Adom station in Netivot and asked Amit to join him. However, Amit, who served as
the on-call paramedic in Be’eri, replied that specifically during an emergency, she must remain in the kibbutz to provide a medical response to its residents. Thus, the two parted that morning: Ofir left for Netivot, and Amit stayed in Be’eri, both driven by the same sense of responsibility and commitment to saving lives.
During the shift, Ofir joined the large-scale medical effort taking place in the south. Initially, he was dispatched to the Netivot Junction, where private vehicles arrived with casualties, most of them young people from the Nova festival.
“When we arrived, I found many people there in critical condition, so we decided to set up a treatment site,” Ofir said. The Magen David Adom intensive care team led by Ofir established a treatment site at the junction, where dozens of wounded were treated.
When Magen David Adom paramedic Meitar Zamir arrived at the junction, Ofir left to evacuate a ventilated patient to Soroka Medical Center. Before his eyes, a vehicle of terrorists passed on Route 25 and opened fire. The police neutralized the shooters.
Later, he arrived at the treatment site at the Shuva Junction.
Thus, for hours, many wounded from the battle zones arrived at the teams, including civilians and members of the security forces. Ofir treated the casualties, assisted in stabilizing their condition and preparing them for evacuation, and continued moving from patient to patient. His activity was part of an ongoing Magen David Adom medical response, which included receiving the wounded, providing initial
treatment, medical prioritization, and evacuation to hospitals. Amidst the heavy workload and the danger, the team members were required to maintain professionalism and composure, focusing each time on the person standing before them and the actions required to save their life.
Parallel to the feverish and non-stop treatment of the wounded, under sirens, Ofir tried to keep in touch with Amit and worried for her safety. Amit was called to the dental clinic in Be’eri, where she treated the wounded for hours alongside other medical personnel. Even though supplies were running low and outside assistance could not enter the kibbutz,
she continued to provide medical care. Ofir, for his part, continued to fulfill his role as a paramedic and treat the wounded who came to him, even as the concern for Amit accompanied him every moment. Unfortunately, it was eventually learned,
to great shock, that she was murdered in the line of duty.
Read more about Amit Mann, of blessed memory, here
