Adham Safadi, 50, who has been with MDA for 17 years, described the traumatic moment when he identified his 12-year-old daughter, Finis, among the bodies of the young victims. “As soon as I arrived at the scene, I saw my daughter and her friend lying on the ground. Her body was intact, but she had a head injury that was fatal. I bent down, placed my hand on her chest, and asked her to forgive me,” he told Ynet.
The attack occurred on a Saturday evening when Hezbollah fired a Falaq-1 missile at a soccer field in Majdal Shams, Golan Heights, killing 12 children and teenagers.
Reflecting on his loss, Safadi shared the anguish of a father and medic: “I have seen a lot in my career, but I never imagined I would encounter my own daughter in such a situation where even my expertise couldn't save her.”
Safadi, who is a father of two, had spent the morning with his family before the tragedy. “Saturday is my day off. I was at home with my wife and daughters, and in the afternoon, I attended a wedding in Majdal. When I returned home at 5:00 p.m., I saw Finis in her Arsenal jersey and her friend in a Germany jersey in the yard. I asked where they were going as the game was set for 6:00 p.m.”
Finis told him they planned to take a walk, grab a bite at a nearby restaurant, and then go play soccer. “I reminded her to be careful and to call me if she needed anything. She was a very active child, involved in soccer and tennis.”
When a powerful explosion shook their home, Safadi rushed to the soccer field, where he saw black smoke. He described the chaos: “I ran frantically and within minutes arrived at the field. There were two burned bodies outside, and the field was filled with cries of the injured.”
He eventually found his daughter and her friend among the dead. “In the midst of the chaos, I knew I had to make a choice. I asked an MDA colleague to stay with my daughter while I attended to the injured. I managed to save an injured child with a tourniquet, but could not save another child with severe injuries.”
The community gathered for a joint funeral for the victims, and Safadi mourned the loss deeply. “Our hearts broke seeing their friends, children themselves, laying wreaths. In every city and village, children play and deserve to be protected. Their innocence should not be destroyed.”