“If I’m not back in 5 minutes, I’m dead”
Lt. Eitan lead a group of soldiers into the tunnel, warning them that it could be booby trapped and that if danger arose, they needed to open fire immediately.
“There, I saw Hadar’s blood and his equipment.” To his right, Eitan found bags blocking the passage and a gun. He stepped forward, opened one of the bags and found explosives inside. He immediately sent an expert to defuse them.
Lt. Eitan wanted to reach the end of the tunnel to find Lt. Goldin, but he knew that terrorists could kill him or take him hostage. “I turned around and said to my commander ‘Count how long I’m here. I will run as fast as possible to reach the tunnel’s entrance. During this time, call the other soldiers into the tunnel. If I’m not back in 5 minutes – I’m dead’.” Lt. Eitan started running as he fired. Inside the tunnel, he saw more explosives, weapons, and entrances to other tunnels.
After 10 minutes, Eitan decided to turn back, realizing that the danger was too great. Once he reached the opening of the tunnel, his officers gave him the order to search the Rafah area for Lt. Goldin. During Operation Protective Edge, the area was extensively used by Hamas for terror activity. One incident occurred on the night of July 18, when Hamas sent a donkey rigged with explosives towards IDF forces. Additionally, on the morning of August 3, Special Forces from the Givati Brigade discovered more than 150 mortar shells and a tunnel in the city.
Dozens of soldiers moved toward the main road between the agricultural district and the most populated area of Rafah. Terrorists shot at the soldiers, who returned fire and continued to search the area, but they found no sign of Lt. Goldin.
A day later, on August 2, a special IDF committee concluded that Lt. Goldin was killed in combat. He fought honorably to protect Israelis against the terrorists who ended up taking his life. The brave actions of Lt. Eitan, who risked his life to save Lt. Goldin, embody the IDF’s core value that every human life is worth saving. His heroism is an example to every IDF soldier.