Mickey and his family from Kibbutz Nahal Oz woke up Saturday morning to an unusual barrage of artillery fire. After about an hour of shelling, they received a message indicating that terrorists had infiltrated the kibbutz. Mickey readied his weapon. When the terrorists shattered the window adjacent to the family’s protected room – where his wife and young daughter sought shelter – he responded with rapid fire, forcing them to retreat. They attempted to gain entry through another window, but Mickey outmaneuvered them. His swift reaction drove them away from the house, but they soon returned with heavy ammunition and used an RPG to blast open the front door.
Approximately 12 terrorists entered the house. Mickey took cover behind a concrete wall at the entrance to the protected room, displaying remarkable composure as he engaged in combat with them. For about an hour and a half, he responded by shooting from his position behind the wall every time they shot in his direction, eliminating all the terrorists who approached the protected room. Finally, the terrorists hurled a stun grenade, forcing him to enter the protected room, where he clung tightly to the door handle to prevent them from breaking in. During this time, the terrorists tried to negotiate with him to convince the family to leave the protected room. He responded that his family would come out of the room only if the terrorists laid down their weapons. But the moment the terrorists opened the door, Mickey fired a volley of bullets and killed the terrorist at the entrance. The remaining terrorists fled. The rescue teams arrived after midnight. The entire family, the three in the house as well as a daughter who was in another residence, emerged unharmed from the ordeal.
