On the Saturday morning of October 7, Brig. Gen. Tibon received a frantic message from his son, who lives in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, that he and his family – his wife and two young daughters – were trapped in their own home, surrounded by dozens of terrorists. Tibon, 61, instructed them to remain completely quiet, and he set out towards their location in his vehicle. However, at the entrance to the kibbutz, he encountered a fierce battle between Maglan special forces and terrorists. There were dead and wounded at the scene and Tibon seized a weapon and helmet from one of the fallen soldiers and joined in the fighting. Afterwards, he retraced his steps, and although his family was anxiously awaiting him, he evacuated two wounded people for urgent medical care.
Out of unwavering dedication to the mission and although his family kept sending repeated distress signals from their protected room, Brig. Gen. Tibon placed his role as an officer and his commitment to the greater good above all. Upon his return to the kibbutz, he joined a paratrooper force that was engaged in a door-to-door search of the houses and combat with the terrorists. Only after successfully clearing the area of terrorists did he finally reach his son’s home and free him and his family from their ordeal.
