Lt. Col. (res.) Yonatan Bahat is a familiar face in the rehabilitation department of Hadassah Hospital. After almost a year there, he greets every staff member he encounters and offers encouraging words to fellow patients passing by. It’s a reflection of his deep connection to the world of war and recovery - a world that has shaped much of his life.
As a former combat officer, Yonatan went on to establish a company specializing in training emergency response organizations and military units worldwide. The company’s mission focuses on managing extreme scenarios, including mass casualty events and battlefield first aid.
"It's been years since I was discharged, but even beyond my reserve service, I never truly left the security world," he says. "Still, I never imagined my profession would come so close to saving my own life."
When war erupted, Yonatan, the deputy commander of the 646th Reserve Brigade, cut short a family vacation in Romania to return to Israel. "There wasn’t a seat on the flight, so I flew in the cockpit," he recalls. "I landed on October 8 and joined my brigade, which had just returned from the battles in Be'eri. After operations in Judea and Samaria, we joined the maneuver in Gaza. On January 8, I was gravely injured."
Describing the harrowing moments of his injury, Yonatan recounts: "I was in a Hummer with my command team when a terrorist squad fired an RPG at us. We exited the vehicle to engage, only for another squad to ambush us from a nearby shaft. They opened heavy fire. I was hit six times—in both legs, my chest, and my shoulder. My commander, Itamar, was hit in the abdomen."
In those critical moments, hovering between life and death, Yonatan recalls a surreal calm. "I wasn’t afraid. I kept thinking how unfair it was that life could be so short and how much more I wanted to accomplish. When the medics began treating me and I realized I might survive, my survival instinct kicked in."
Among the medical team that saved his life was Yonatan Shalitav, a paramedic from the 646th Unit. It was only later that he discovered she had been trained through a program developed by his company.
When Shalitav recognized the severity of his injuries, she made the bold decision to land an evacuation helicopter in the Gaza Strip. On-site, she performed emergency surgery to stabilize him. "I remember her saying, 'Be strong. I’m not putting you to sleep. You’ll get through this - you’re a hero.'"
Yonatan was initially evacuated to Barzilai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized. Two weeks later, he woke up in Hadassah Hospital, aware of the long journey ahead.
Reflecting on his experience, Yonatan emphasizes resilience: "From fighter to patient, the path isn’t easy, but it’s a reminder of how interconnected our actions and impact truly are."
