I waded through bodies on ‘Road of Death’ to save Oct 7 victims riddled with bullets…I’m haunted by dying soldier’s face

A RESCUER has told how he had to wade through bodies of innocent civilians slaughtered by Hamas terrorists on the “Road of Death” on October 7.

After receiving endless reports of gunshots and casualties in southern Israel, Chezi Rosenbaum rushed in an ambulance to help rescue civilians and IDF soldiers.

A seasoned rescuer and volunteer for the United Hatzalah, he was one of the first medics to reach the site of devastation, hoping to save as many lives as possible.

In one of the darkest days in the history of the bloody Middle East conflict, barbaric Hamas terrorists stormed dozens of Israeli kibbutzes near the Gaza border.

Hundreds of people were brutally butchered by unforgiving Hamas thugs.

Armed with grenades and RPGs, they wreaked havoc in the early hours of the Jewish holiday – indiscriminately raining down bullets and rockets on Israeli civilians and burning many of them alive.

It was a brutal campaign of terror that resulted in the deaths of some 1,200 people, while 253 others were taken as hostages – many of whom later died in captivity.

It was eerily quiet because there was no one there except for us … everyone was dead

Chezi RosenbaumIsraeli medic

As the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) scrambled to defend its territory, many of the country’s first responders were called to save the lives of hundreds of victims who were injured in the mass terror attack.

Chezi told The Sun: “I grabbed everything I could, including pliers, bandages, and medical equipment, and rushed to Sderot to help.

“Missiles were falling not too far away from me. I remember seeing the smoke rising up from everywhere. I put on my helmet and my bulletproof vest, and I was just driving.”

After reaching Sderot, Chezi was met with a scene of utter devastation, with countless dead bodies lying on the roads and terrorists firing at them from a pickup truck.

But what he witnessed next was nothing short of a catastrophe.

He revealed that the most horrific experience was his journey through the “Road of Death” where he had to walk through piles of dead bodies.

Known in Israel as Highway 232, it connects northern Israel with the southern parts and provides access to Kfar Aza and Kibbutz Be’eri – some of the worst affected settlements from October 7.

The route also opens up to the site of the tragic Nova music festival.

There was a stroller that was turned over with a dead baby inside … I did not dare to pick it up and check

Chezi RosenbaumIsraeli medic

Throughout that day, Chezi shuttled many wounded people back and forth to the Soroka Medical Center through that road.

He said: “There were dead bodies everywhere I could see, I felt absolutely numb and was acting like like a robot.

“There were charred cars with bodies inside … one had a deceased driver still pressing the accelerator.

“And I was trying to zigzag on the road between the burnt cars and dead bodies.

“There was a stroller that was turned over with a dead baby inside. I remember looking at it every time I passed because I went back and forth a lot.

“But I didn’t even pull over to stop. I usually try to stop and see if there’s someone I can help. But I did not dare to turn the stroller and pick the baby up.”

Chezi, who described it as a scene from an apocalyptic movie, added: “Rocket shells were lying all over the place. There were charred vehicles with machine guns on top and tanks and other military vehicles all bombed.

“And it was eerily quiet because there was no one there except for us. Everyone was dead.”

As the medic began bundling up dead people in body bags, an army car pulled up in front of him with a soldier who had a bullet stuck in his head.

“I pulled out the bed and they put the soldier on it. I could see he had a bullet hole in the head and even a part of his brain was visible,” he said.

“It was still bleeding so I pulled out a bandage to stop the blood and rushed him to the nearest medical camp.

“I was with the wounded guy in the back of the ambulance and he was whispering to me. He was in so much pain I could not understand what he said.

At one point I realised it’s not only smoke from bombed cars, but also from human bodies that were burning next to me

Naomi Galeanoemergency responder

“I could see him stop breathing and I knew he was dead already. I prepared the body bag and put him inside. He was the first wounded person I tried to save that day but failed.

“Since then, almost every day I see the soldier’s face. I made myself up a story: either he was saying ‘Try and save my life’, or ‘Please tell my family I love them so’.

“It still haunts me to this day and I will have to live with it for my entire life.”

Little did Chezi know that the death of the IDF soldier was just one of the many devastating memories he would have to carry for the rest of his life.

While on his way to a hospital, the emergency responder met four female IDF soldiers covered in holes all over their bodies – hiding underneath a pile of mattresses.

“They were young IDF conscripts who were among the first to fight Hamas terrorists early morning,” he said.

“I asked them how it happened and they told me it was from bullets and grenade shrapnel.

“They managed to run to a nearby building and hide. They saw Hamas men singing and dancing outside who believed the young girls were dead.”

For Chrezi, who has been in many emergency situations before, October 7 was a nightmare that he still cannot forget.

He said: “It was really difficult. As an emergency medic I have seen a lot of dead bodies – even performed CPR on babies.

“But [October 7] was different. It will haunt me for the rest of my life.”