Druze First Sgt. Salman Gadban stood up against attackers and also played a major part in the defense of the Nahal Oz base, notably by shooting an assailant attempting to drag away a fallen comrade during the surprise Hamas terrorist assault on October 7.
The dramatic episode unfolded early Saturday morning, when the base’s "Red Alert" siren wailed. Reacting swiftly, Gadban, accompanied by another officer and several soldiers, dashed to the base’s shelter. Upon emerging after the first alarms, they confronted Hamas terrorists trying to infiltrate the base. As the morning went on, some among the base’s 22 soldiers were wounded. When many terrorists still tried to infiltrate further, Gadban protected his fellow soldiers, at risk to his own life.
Later, a tank crew that came to their aid was hit by two missiles and killed. When a terrorist tried to drag away the body of a crew member, Gadban shot him.
Defending the base
For many hours, Gadban and his small team defended the base, even as they ran low on ammunition and food. A grenade thrown at Gadban fortunately failed to explode.
Around 4:30 p.m. more soldiers arrived, the Hamas terrorists were routed and Gadban commandeered an armored vehicle to carry the wounded to safety under fire.
Finally, Gadban, who recently became a father, instructed the new soldiers on the lay of the land and potential threats, remaining with them till morning to ensure there were no nighttime surprise attacks.