In the chaotic aftermath of Hamas' October 7 assault on Israel, a chilling accusation recently emerged: a civilian had allegedly executed a captured militant. Throughout the country, Israelis were in equal parts horrified and disgusted at the government and the police for indicting a hero who voluntarily put himself in mortal danger to save his countrymen.
Now, the man at the center of that storm is breaking his silence.
"I wasn't even there," Sahar Ophir declared in an explosive radio interview, his voice a mix of frustration and defiance. The 27-year-old volunteer, once a prime suspect in a high-profile investigation, now paints himself as the victim of a vindictive frame-job.
Ophir's account reads like a war movie script: a Sabbath morning shattered by sirens, a mad dash to the front lines, and hours of intense combat alongside hardened special forces. "We were three guys fighting in multiple zones," he recounted, describing scenes of "absolute mayhem" in embattled kibbutzim.
But it's what Ophir claims didn't happen that's raising eyebrows. He vehemently denies any part in the alleged execution, suggesting his name was "thrown out there" as payback for reporting a weapon theft. "It's an act of revenge," he insists.
While cleared of the killing, Ophir isn't out of the woods. Weapons allegedly found in his home have entangled him in a separate investigation, though his lawyer maintains their legality.
As Israel continues to grapple with the trauma of October 7, Ophir's case highlights a troubling question: in the fog of that terrible day, can the full truth ever emerge?
* Kann News contributed to this article.
