Gil Benedek was trapped. The building he and fellow soldiers were trying to clear during a 2014 mission had been struck by enemy rockets, collapsing the roof.
He saw two of his commanders in the Israeli Defense Forces killed, and a fellow soldier died in his arms. Benedek suffered severe injuries to his head, elbow, and shoulder.
Afterward, Benedek shared his story only with his girlfriend. It took a trip to New York in 2017 with an organization called Brothers for Life, made up of injured Israeli combat veterans who help others scarred by war, for him to open up about his experience.
