On Tuesday, 47-year-old Hali Saada and her 15-year-old son Idan were gravely injured during an anti-tank missile attack in Kiryat Shmona. Following the incident, both were rushed to Rambam Hospital where they are currently under intensive care. Their conditions are stable and moderate, and they are fully conscious with the ability to communicate with each other. Kathy Albo, Hali’s sister-in-law, expressed her emotional state to Mako Health, saying, “Their mental state is very challenging. The recovery period will be lengthy and difficult. Hali and Idan are the life of our family, we are deeply connected.”
With regards to their medical conditions, Kathy shared that “Idan arrived at the hospital with shrapnel in his lungs and neck. They have not yet removed the shrapnel due to their proximity to his blood vessels. They are letting him heal slightly before carrying out the procedure. He also has a leg injury. Hali, on the other hand, sustained more severe injuries. She has shrapnel in her stomach and has suffered damage to her liver and small intestine, as well as a serious knee injury. The news of their condition initially created widespread panic, with false rumors circulating on Telegram and other media. People were spreading rumors that Idan had been killed or they had lost their limbs, which was absolutely horrifying.”
This is not the first time the family has been hit hard by war. Coral Elbo, Hali’s sister, is a survivor of the Nova party incident. “We thought that lightning doesn’t strike twice, but it turns out it does. Coral was miraculously saved on the seventh of October. She and her partner were at a party when they sensed danger. They quickly decided to leave, but their escape route was blocked. They tried to divert their path, but the road was blocked again. They contemplated stopping at Migunit, but ruled it out considering the escalating threat. The sound of gunshots grew louder and they had no choice but to run. A local resident came to their aid and directed them to Moshav Patish. They arrived there after spending six harrowing hours in the field, dodging bullets from all directions. They were then evacuated in armored vehicles towards Bar seven.”
The Saada family hails from Moshav Elifelt. On the day of the incident, Hali and her son had come to Kiryat Shmona to run errands when they were hit by anti-tank fire. Kathy lamented, “They are leaving us in the lurch. Why don’t they provide protection for the residents who live there?”
Yesterday, the tragic news of 20-year-old Sgt. Omar Sara Banjo’s death was made public. Sgt. Banjo, from Moshav Gia on the Ashkelon coast, was killed by a rocket barrage that was launched at the Northern Command base in Safed. She was hit while on her way to Migunit. Eight other fighters were wounded in the same attack. One of them, a reserve fighter from the IT department, was taken to Rambam Hospital in a critical condition. The hospital updated this morning that the fighter’s condition is serious but stable. Dr. Yaron Bar Lavie, director of the general intensive care department at Rambam Hospital, said, “The injured man underwent a series of operations and is now in the intensive care unit, ventilated and sedated. We hope to assess his situation today and decide whether it is feasible to wake him up.”
The other fighters injured in the attack were taken to Ziv Hospital in Safed. The hospital reported that one person with light injuries is hospitalized in the orthopedics department. Four other injured people were transferred to Tel Hashomer and were classified as light injuries. The rest of the injured have been discharged.
A total of 11 rockets were fired during the attack, with two of them exploding at the base. Another rocket exploded near the Ziv hospital in Safed, but miraculously, there were no casualties.
