Author: mackenzie

When I first saw him, he was unconscious, and there was a lot of blood on his face and chest,” recalled Yair Schussheim, a MAGEN DAVID ADOM paramedic, upon first seeing Yarin, an Israeli soldier. “I did not think he would survive.” Yarin was on patrol on Highway 60 in Israel when a terrorist struck him with a car. He suffered broken bones, head injuries causing brain damage, and extensive internal bleeding. His leg was nearly severed. There would have been no chance for this young soldier unless one of the most seasoned and well-trained paramedics in the world arrived within moments. Thankfully, that is exactly what happened. Yair Schussheim wasted no time on guesswork and loaded the young man into a Mobile Intensive Care Unit ambulance — essentially an emergency room on wheels — and sped toward the nearest trauma hospital. “I told the ambulance driver, ‘Floor the gas! Don’t stop!’” Yarin’s throat was full of blood, and he struggled for air. Immediately Schussheim and his team ventilated him and opened two IV lines. It was clear to Schussheim that this young man’s life was hanging in the balance. Every intervention and every bit of his experience was brought to bear to keep him alive until he could be transferred to a trauma team. It was a moment-by-moment battle for survival. Schussheim called the hospital on the way so they would be prepared. He explained the situation, the horrific incident, wounds, and everything he was doing to keep Yarin alive. He wanted the surgeons and trauma teams at the ER to be as ready as possible the moment they arrived. But in the paramedic’s heart, he fought back the unthinkable: He’s not going to survive. This young man who had been walking, talking, and defending Israel just minutes earlier was teetering on the brink of death. Schussheim continued employing every intervention possible as he fought for Yarin’s life. Yair Schussheim’s training equipped him to meet this crisis moment. In Israel, emergency medical technicians begin with 200 hours of training to save lives. But as a paramedic, Yair received nearly 10 times as much training. More specifically, he was trained to handle the worst-of-the-worst of all medical emergencies that can occur in the field. It is as if he was trained and handpicked for this moment. It is the support of friends like you that make this training possible. The minutes felt like hours as Schussheim focused all he had ever learned to keep this young soldier alive. And he did. Finally, they arrived at the hospital, and the responsibility for Yarin’s fate passed to the hands of the doctors. Dr. Miklosh Bala, a trauma surgeon at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, credits Yair’s decision-making as the key to the soldier’s survival. According to Dr. Bala, had Yair waited even minutes more, Yarin likely would have died. Yarin himself was shocked at the outcome. “I woke up in the hospital, and I had no idea how I am alive.” His mother, Riki, was overcome with grief at seeing her son. “I asked the entire nation of Israel to pray.” But her cries of despair turned to tears of joy as Yarin began to slowly recover. “He woke up against all odds. Thank God. And he was able to speak.” Yair visited Yarin after he gained consciousness. “I saw him and told him, ‘Now is the beginning of your new life; don’t give up.’” Yarin took his rescuer’s words to heart. While waking, speaking, and breathing on his own were the first miracles, next came standing on his own. So terrible were his injuries that he struggled to stay up on his own two feet. Yarin went to therapy every day, pushing through the pain and the failure. But he would not give up, even after falling and falling and falling again. His remarkable resilience was eventually rewarded when, one day, he spurred himself on with powerful words of resolve and determination: “No! Enough! I must stand!” Yarin endured months of grueling rehabilitation, and six months after the attack, he was almost fully recovered and able to attend a ceremony honoring the lifesaving paramedic. “A lot of patients do not survive those kinds of terrorist acts,” Schussheim said. “But he just didn’t give up; that’s all.” For Yarin, it was the least he could do for a man who he now considers family. “Yair is not just the paramedic who saved my life,” he said. “He is like my brother. I did not expect a connection like this.” Give to Help Save Lives in Israel The training Israel’s paramedics receive often means the difference between life and death. Of MAGEN DAVID ADOM’s corps of about 37,500 EMTs and volunteers, about 1,000 are paramedics. This elite group of frontline medical professionals undergoes more than 1,500 hours of rigorous training to care for those on the verge of life and death. There are many willing to devote their lives to this calling, but they CANNOT serve without the proper training and medical supplies. Your support can make that possible. Every trained and equipped paramedic can save thousands of lives over many years of service. Almost all that MAGEN DAVID ADOM does in Israel, from being responsible for the nation’s emergency services and blood supply to training its paramedics is made possible by generous donations from individuals who love Israel, just like you. Help Saves Lives As the most skilled medical professionals in the field, MAGEN DAVID ADOM paramedics work tirelessly, day in and day out, to answer the calls for help and save victims of the most horrific terror attacks, accidents, and emergencies. Many share the same perspective as Yair Schussheim. “People come into the world to some purpose, and my purpose is to help someone,” he said. “This is our destiny.” While many have praised Yair’s fast and lifesaving actions, he is quick to deflect the praise. “Yarin taught me that everything is possible because he is a miracle.” You can be a part of a miracle in Israel today when you give to support the lifesaving work of MAGEN DAVID ADOM. Your support makes it possible to equip, train, and dispatch paramedics in Israel every time there is a crisis. Donate Now MAGEN DAVID ADOM, Israel’s national Red Cross society, provides emergency medical care and ambulance services for victims of terror, natural disasters, automobile accidents, and other emergencies in Israel. It is also responsible for the nation’s blood supply. MAGEN DAVID ADOM is saving lives in Israel every day. Features
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“He Is a Miracle” — Decisive Action Saves Israeli Terror Victim

When I first saw him, he was unconscious, and there was a lot of blood on his face and chest,” recalled Yair Schussheim, a MAGEN DAVID ADOM paramedic, upon first seeing Yarin, an Israeli soldier.  “I did not think he would survive.” Yarin was on patrol on Highway 60 in Israel when a terrorist struck him with a car. He suffered broken bones, head injuries causing brain damage, and extensive internal bleeding. His leg was nearly severed. There would have been no chance for this young soldier unless one of the most seasoned and well-trained paramedics in the world arrived…

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Israel: Houthi Chief of Staff Killed in Targeted Strike Middle East
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Israel: Houthi Chief of Staff Killed in Targeted Strike

Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced Thursday that their chief of staff, Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari, has died “in the line of duty,” weeks after Israeli airstrikes targeted him in the capital, Sanaa. Shortly after, Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that Israel had killed al-Ghamari. Al-Ghamari had been attacked by Israel on at least two occasions. The Houthis did not specify the circumstances of his death but confirmed he is no longer alive. Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television reported that he was killed in an August 28 airstrike that also killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmad al-Rahawi and several ministers. It remains unclear whether…

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IDF Finalizing Battle Plan in Case Gaza War Reignites Middle East
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IDF Finalizing Battle Plan in Case Gaza War Reignites

According to Katz, the planning is contingent on Hamas failing to implement President Trump’s peace plan, which calls for the immediate return of all hostages Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, has instructed the IDF to prepare a comprehensive plan to defeat Hamas in Gaza should renewed fighting become necessary. The directive came during a high-level discussion on IDF preparations in Gaza with the Chief of Staff and senior military leadership. According to Katz, the planning is contingent on Hamas failing to implement President Trump’s peace plan, which calls for the immediate return of all hostages and the disarmament of the…

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Caged and Broken: Hostages’ Families Recall Their Nightmare Israel News
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Caged and Broken: Hostages’ Families Recall Their Nightmare

One was whipped. Another was put in a cage. Still another was thrown into a pit. More than one was handcuffed. In the days since they were released from two years in brutal captivity, freed hostages have shared, through their families, harrowing details of their time in Gaza. The accounts paint a picture of starvation, suffering and physical and psychological abuse. Mixed in are moments of defiance and hope, and desperate attempts to secure food or a connection to the outside world. Now that the captives are back home after more than 700 days, their loved ones report that they…

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Assassins Impersonated Police, Killed Reservist and Others Israel News
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Assassins Impersonated Police, Killed Reservist and Others

An investigation into yesterday’s shooting on Route 443, in which two people were killed, indicates the suspects posed as police officers, pursued their targets who exited the jeep they were in, and killed reservist Sergei Metatov, an innocent passerby who happened upon the scene. The investigation shows the pair of assassins rode a motorcycle resembling those used by motorcycle police officers, including police jackets, police lights, and following what appeared to be a military Rubicon jeep. They followed closely for some time before firing at the jeep. Sergei stopped his car, thinking he was witnessing a terrorist attack, and got…

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Feast Pilgrims Witness Historic Freeing of Last Israeli Hostages Israel News
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Feast Pilgrims Witness Historic Freeing of Last Israeli Hostages

The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem has just completed a very successful Feast of Tabernacles celebration in Jerusalem right as Israel welcomed home the last 20 living hostages from Hamas captivity in Gaza. The timing seemed to be orchestrated from heaven, as so many of our Feast pilgrims have been faithfully praying with us online for two whole years for the release of the remaining hostages, and they were actually here to witness and experience their joyous return alongside the people of Israel. At the very start of the Feast last Monday evening, as the full moon rose over the desert…

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Hamas Claims Hostage Search May Take Months, Israel Denies Middle East
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Hamas Claims Hostage Search May Take Months, Israel Denies

Senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk asserted that it could take “months” for the group to locate all hostages, living and deceased—a claim Israeli officials flatly reject. A Jerusalem official said Hamas knows the whereabouts of every living captive and can access them, insisting that any delay amounts to a negotiating tactic rather than a logistical challenge. The remarks come as mediators move to finalize a framework that envisions a single-phase release within 72 hours of signing. Israeli assessments cited by local media anticipate Hamas will seek more time for the return of bodies, even as it is required to…

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IDF Chief: Military Pressure Key to Freeing Hostages Middle East
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IDF Chief: Military Pressure Key to Freeing Hostages

While touring the front lines in Gaza on Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir told his troops that their military pressure on Hamas is what will bring back the Israeli hostages the terrorist group kidnapped. “Due to the substantial military pressure and the powerful and high-quality land invasion, you, the combat fighters, brought about the conditions to return the hostages to their homes,” he said. “The military actions led to the diplomatic achievement.” All soldiers must remain on guard, because “the enemy is still here,” Zamir said. “He has not disappeared.” Continue reading this article on jpost.com

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Global Headlines on The Israel-Hamas Peace Pact Israel News
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Global Headlines on The Israel-Hamas Peace Pact

The historic announcement early Thursday by U.S. President Donald Trump of an agreement between Israel and Hamas — marking the first stage of his Middle East peace plan — dominated headlines across the globe, from the United States to Australia, Brazil to Italy. The deal, which includes the release of all hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a partial Israeli withdrawal, was widely described by international outlets as a “historic breakthrough” that could position Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. Yet, reports also raised doubts over how the plan will be implemented, including Israel’s demand that Hamas disarm and…

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Joshi Family Reveals Hamas Video of Abducted Son Middle East
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Joshi Family Reveals Hamas Video of Abducted Son

The Hostage Families Forum released a statement on Wednesday saying that Nepali hostage Bipin Joshi’s family plans to reveal new footage of Joshi from Gaza, where he has remained hostage since his kidnapping by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The documentation was collected by the IDF as loot and was recently brought to their attention by intelligence officials. The video was estimated to have been shot in November 2023, documenting Bipin in Hamas captivity. “The sign of life found in Gaza, which we share with you today, is for us an anchor of firm faith that he is alive,” the Joshi…

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