The chilling meeting in the heart of Gaza: "Only at 2 AM did we realize who was standing in front of us"

For four years they sat side by side in a high school classroom, teacher and student. One fought for the other's grades against all odds and conventions. One night, in the heart of the dust and darkness of Khan Yunis, they met again: one inside a rescue helicopter, and the other on the ground, loading a wounded person onto a stretcher. Only at two in the morning, in one WhatsApp message, did they realize who was standing in front of them at the landing site. With the start of the 5787 school year today (Tuesday), they tell in an interview with C14 about the incident in Gaza and the moving story behind it: "I didn't expect to meet my homeroom teacher in the heart of the war, when we are both busy with the same thing – saving lives."

Every child needs one adult who believes in them

The special bond between the two began within the school walls, in a place where the system sometimes struggled to contain D.'s potential. "He was a number one student socially, but academically it was challenging," says S. "I had to deal with teachers who didn't always see his other side, but I saw quality in him from the beginning. In someone who is an outstanding enduro athlete, I see excellence, perseverance, and a desire to succeed. It doesn't always have to be a grade in literature or civics." D. adds that his teacher's belief was the key for him: "S. was a back and a listening ear for every moment. He gave me the feeling that I was doing something okay, that I was following my dream."

The meeting in the heart of the Strip

The years passed, and the next meeting took place in a shaking reality in the shadow of the war, under the skies of Gaza. S., who served as an airborne mechanic in a rescue helicopter, was scrambled to evacuate a wounded person from D.'s commando unit. "It was around 22:30 at night, I just reached out to lace up to take off my shoes and suddenly boom – a scramble to Khan Yunis," says S. "We landed in a place that looked like sea sand, total darkness, seeing everything only through night vision goggles. At those moments I didn't recognize D. who was on the ground, but I knew it was a force from his unit, and all the time it ran through my head: 'I hope he's okay'."

On the ground, D. was the one who led his friend who was wounded by gunfire toward the makeshift landing site. "There was a lot of mess there, we arrived, treated the wounded and evacuated him to the landing site," recalls D. "We handed the stretcher to the helicopter, and the evacuation was very high quality and fast." He didn't know that at those moments, the one pulling the stretcher into the belly of the helicopter and caring for his friend's life is the man who accompanied him throughout his teenage years in high school.

"While we were cleaning the aircraft of blood, I sent a message to D. to ask how he was, because I knew he was there in the area," says S. The answer came shortly after. "I opened the phone at two in the morning," says D. "I saw a message from S., I wrote to him that it was a good friend of mine that I evacuated just now, and then he answered me: 'I am the one who evacuated him to Tel Hashomer'. It was an amazing moment that I won't forget. I didn't expect to meet my homeroom teacher inside the battlefield when we are both doing the same thing for the sake of saving lives." For S., the pride was immense: "He is an example for the whole class, and it is much more moving than just being a page with a grade."

On the occasion of the start of the school year, the two ask to convey a message of hope to the students who are starting their journey today. "As a teenager who has dreams, never stop dreaming and working hard to achieve them," says D. "The most important thing is to persevere on the path and be honest and sincere." S., who continues to educate even in these days, summarizes the essence of the teaching profession through this connection: "There are students who come from different backgrounds, and the system doesn't always have patience. I feel that I am a support, a responsible adult who gives a listening ear. At the end of the day, I get excited every time anew to arrive at school and help."