Kan 7.10.360 | The story of Noam and Noa Hanukah from Kibbutz Mefalsim on October 7

Noam Hanukah (29) is a photographer and broadcast director for i24 News Channel. On Saturday morning, he leaves his home in the kibbutz for work in Tel Aviv. His wife, Noa, 33, an educator who is in advanced pregnancy, is sleeping at home after feeling unwell during the night. Before setting off, Noam writes her a message.

When the Red Color alarms begin in the kibbutz, Noa wakes up and stays in the bedroom, which also serves as a safe room. She calls Noam, who is at the Shaar HaNegev intersection, and asks him to return home. He drives towards a shelter at the intersection, hides in it and updates Noa. A few minutes later, a soldier who is close-by shouts to Noam to flee and he drives back to the kibbutz. Noa leaves the safe room because it has no reception and updates her friends on the situation.

Noam drives to the Sderot intersection and turns back to the kibbutz, but encounters a white van with terrorists. They shoot at him and hit his stomach. He calls Noa and updates her: “I've been shot.” Noa replies, “Who shot you? Maybe a Qassam hit you?” She asks him to get out of the car and seek help.

Noam leaves his car and meets Raz Balaban, an officer in the Home Command armed with a pistol. Raz takes Noam to his vehicle, but terrorists who notice them shoot at them and injure them. Raz puts Noam into the car and conducts an exchange of fire with the terrorists, during which he hits the terrorists, but gets injured in his leg. At the end of the exchange of fire, the two drive against the direction of traffic to the intersection of Mavki'im, where Raz arranged to meet his father. While driving, Noam calls Noa and updates her that the army is rescuing him.

Near the Mavki'im intersection, Raz, who continues to lose blood, spots security forces blocking the road. He tells Noam that he is calling for help and gets out of the car. He tells the security man that he has a wounded man in the car. Raz's father, who arrives on the scene, drives Raz to Barzilai Hospital. Noam, who is left alone in the vehicle while partially conscious, calls his father and tells him he has been left alone. He calls Noa to say goodbye and tells her “I can't seem to get back alive”. Noa replies “Only I will kill you”. At the same time, Liron Marcel, a neighbor of the couple, gets herself updated on the situation. She arrives at Noa's house and goes into safe room with her.

While Noam lies in the car, Shlomi Sashi, also a resident of Mefalsim, drives back to the kibbutz after his morning run. When he reaches a scoring intersection area, he sees terrorists firing on two cars. He stops the vehicle and sees several vehicles on the side of the road, including the vehicle in which Noam was found. Shlomi sees the injured Noam, approaches him and makes sure he is conscious and drives him to Barzili Hospital in Ashkelon. Noam arrives in intensive care and doctors connect him to ventilators. Noa makes sure he got to the hospital and returns to the safe room.

Noa hears voices in Arabic outside her home and updates her father. Soon after, members of the security squad kill the terrorists. About an hour later, the battery on Noa's phone runs out and she remains without the ability to connect.

During the day, Noa is without food or anything to drink in the safe room. She ceases to feel the fetus in her belly and feels severe pain. At noon, Aliza Riskin, who is in charge of the apartments in the kibbutz, calls Noa's father. He asks her to check on his daughter's well-being.

While IDF forces and the security squad scan the kibbutz for terrorists, Aliza drives to Noa in the club car along with paramedic Oren Benita. Oren checks on Noa and instructs to evacuate her to a hospital as quickly as possible.

IDF forces rescue Noa and evacuate her to Barzilai Hospital. She enters intensive care, where she is staying alongside her husband Noam. During the night, Liron Marcel, who helped Noa deal with events throughout the day, leaves the kibbutz independently.