Avichail Reuven, an Ethiopian paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces, had just returned home from active service. He was still training to become an officer when he came home for a short break in Kiryat Malachi, a town a few kilometers from Ashkelon.

He was looking forward to some much-needed rest when he was abruptly awakened on October 7 by the sound of sirens signaling an impending missile attack.

He checked his phone and was shocked to learn that this was not just another terrorist attack. He saw that Hamas had entered several communities near the Gaza border and that Israel was experiencing something far more deadly and serious than anything he had ever seen.

Despite his exhaustion, Avichail threw himself into action.

In an interview with Channel 12 News, he explained: “I told my brother and my friend that I was going to the border. I said that if something happened, I would just kill (the terrorists). I felt like the guys were laughing at me a bit. They told me, ‘You’re crazy to go there, there’s no reason for us to go with you.’ I also looked for friends with a car who could drive there, but I couldn’t find anyone, so I decided to go to the interchange and try to give someone a ride.”

Undeterred, he grabbed his gun and his uniform, still wet from the washing machine, and ran to the main intersection to see if he could get a ride. No cars stopped and no buses moved. Avichail decided to run.

For an hour, he ran 8 miles toward Zikim, the nearest attacked community.

Avichail told Channel 12: “It was difficult running in a wet uniform, with sirens and rockets hitting the area all the time. It was the hardest run I’ve ever done. It was the longest run I’ve ever done, in uniform, in the heat. A nightmare.”

A father who was on his way to the Nova Festival to help his child saw Avichail and took him with him. Realizing that without a weapon it would be pointless and dangerous, the father dropped Avichail off at an intersection, where a police car took him to a checkpoint near Zikim.

Avichail explained: “I argued a little with the police. I told them: ‘I’m going in. If not with you, then I’ll go in alone.'”

Another commander named Alexander arrived at the same moment and the two went in together.

Avichail explained: “It was total chaos. Half of the base was burned down. There was a lot of shouting and you could see terrorists running around everywhere.”

He came to an air raid shelter where there were 30 female soldiers, including one wounded. Avichail helped her and then said to them: “I need three strong women. That’s why you joined a combat unit. Now is your chance to prove that you are fighters.”

He ordered three soldiers to stand at the entrance and kill all the terrorists nearby. He then went to another bomb shelter that contained male soldiers, many of whom were injured. He spent hours fighting and killing several terrorists, saving the lives of many Jewish civilians.

Witnesses describe how, despite the chaos, Avichail remained calm and focused on his mission. He showed tremendous bravery by risking his life to help others.
After his fights in Zikkim, he went to Yiftah, Kfar Aza and Kibbutz Be’eri. And his heroism did not end there. Later, he fought for months in Gaza with the goal of destroying Hamas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Avichail’s heroism in his address to the U.S. Congress on July 24, saying:
Today we have Lieutenant Avichail Reuven with us. Avichail is an officer in the Israeli paratroopers. His family immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia. In the early hours of October 7, Avichail heard the news about the bloody Hamas rampage.

He put on his uniform, grabbed his rifle, but he didn’t have a car. So he ran eight miles to the front line of Gaza to defend his people. You heard right. He ran eight miles, got to the front line, killed many terrorists and saved many, many lives. Avichail, we all honor your remarkable heroism.”

The entire hall gave him a standing ovation.

The Israeli Defense Forces also recognized Avichail’s bravery and promoted him to officer. The community of Zikim also thanked him.

The Mishnah teaches: “In a place where there is no leader, strive to be a leader” (Ethics of the Fathers, 2:1). When no one came to the rescue, no bus and no car, Avichail pressed on to fulfill his mission. His immense courage – and great humility – make him a modern-day hero.