Lev Kreitman, who survived Hamas's October 7 attack on the Nova Music Festival, killed one of the terrorists during the terror attack in Jaffa on Tuesday and later shared his story with Israeli media following the attack.
He recounted the moments leading up to his intervention, saying, "I was shopping in a nearby store when I heard shots. I stepped out, pulling my gun. I spotted another armed civilian; we started inching closer."
האזרח שחיסל את אחד המחבלים ביפו: "הבנתי ישר שזה פיגוע. ניסיתי לעשות את המקסימום בתוך סיטואציה הזויה"@lirankog pic.twitter.com/YJb2PppvN9
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) October 1, 2024
"We noticed civilians laying on the ground, unfortunately dead."
"I identified two terrorists and started moving forward very slowly. One of them noticed me and started moving in my direction. The second ran off in a different direction. I surprised him [the first terrorist] from the side and shot."
"I understood right away that it was a terror attack. I was in Gaza for half a year; I tried to do my best in an unimaginable situation."
He clarified to Israeli media that his weapon was not from the army but was his personal pistol, which he had applied for after five months of fighting in Gaza.
Ben-Gvir says arming yourself saves lives
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir praised Lev for saving lives both during the terror attack and on October 7 when he helped to rescue wounded people from the Nova Festival massacre.
He called for people to arm themselves, saying, "Go arm yourself; it saves lives."
Ben-Gvir said the National Security Ministry had approved over 120,000 new weapons licenses, including Lev's, in the past six months.
Lev is the director of Midburn, Israel's version of Burning Man; he was at the festival with his production team, planning Midburn.
Lev recognized by others for his bravery
Speaking on the aftermath of the attack, he said, "The other armed civilian went to check on the wounded civilians but found there was nothing they could do, and in the meantime, all the rescue services had begun to arrive."
The following day, Lev returned to the scene to lay a wreath for the victims. While laying the wreath, passers-by recognized him and called out, "This is the guy who killed the terrorist; he saved my life!"
Lev was quickly mobbed by a grateful crowd of residents who thanked him for his bravery.
Having spent the previous night with friends, Lev "went to the police to give evidence." After that, he said, "I came here to make arrangements and place flower wreathes at the scene. It is important for me to give my condolences to the victims' families and pray for the wounded's recovery. In the end, our enemies are afraid when we are united."