Captain Ziv Shilon

Wounded IDF officer: I won't give up

Givati company commander injured by bomb on Gaza border tells reporters 'if I restore use of my hand, I will return to army'

Ilana Curiel |Published: 10.28.12 , 20:04

IDF officer Captain Ziv Shilon, who was wounded in a terror attack on the Gaza border, decided to speak to reporters about his painful ordeal just one week after the attack.

"I remember losing one hand and then seeing the other one crushed. I held one hand with the other. I put myself into the car and told the paramedic to use a tourniquet," Shilon told reporters.

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Recovering at Beersheba's Soroka Medical Center, Shilon told reporters that he hopes to return to the army.

"It's not easy losing your hands but I won't give up. If I can completely restore the use of my hand, I will return to the army," he said.

Shilon, who serves as a Givati company commander, sustained moderate to serious injuries when a bomb went off on the Gaza border fence, near Kissufim

An initial inquiry suggests that the officer was hurt upon opening a gate. It is estimated the blast was caused by a roadside bomb, but the IDF is not ruling out the possibility of a mortar shell explosion.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for the attack. IDF forces canvassed the area in search for the terrorists who laid the explosives.

According to officials at Soroka Medical Center, Shilon lost the palm of his hand in the attack, in addition to sustaining several injuries and burns on his body. He faces a long rehabilitation process which will include several surgeries.

Shortly after his surgery, Shilon sent a message to the soldiers serving in his unit, saying that he loved them and that he was feeling great.

"It is just amazing to receive all of this love. There is nothing to fear. The IDF is strong and will prevail in any situation. This kind of thing happens. Part of the job is to risk our lives in order to protect the citizens of Israel," he added.