The hero who gunned down one of the Jaffa terrorists has told how he chased them in his sandals before shooting them with his pistol.
Lev Kraitman was eating schnitzel in the old port area of Tel Aviv when he heard gunshots.
Without hesitating, he dashed to the light railway station where they were on a rampage knifing and shooting anyone they came across.
Lev, who saved 20 people from the Nova massacre last year before serving in Gaza, pulled out his weapon and confronted the attackers – shooting one of them dead.
Incredible footage shows him running after them in his sandals as he fires forcing the other to flee.
Lev, who saved 20 people from the Nova massacre last year before serving in Gaza , pulled out his weapon and confronted the attackers – shooting one of them dead
Two men holding weapons on the streets of Tel Aviv during last night’s attack
Incredible footage shows him running after them in his sandals as he fires forcing the other to flee
Lev is seen running to take cover after firing several shots during the attack last night
Lev tended to the wounded before emergency services arrived and the second terrorist was eliminated shortly afterwards.
Authorities later confirmed seven people died and 11 were injured in the attack which came just minutes before Iran’s terrifying 180 missile strike on Israel.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Lev said: ‘I live right above the light rail station in Jaffa, and I had just finished work and was hungry as I didn’t have anything in.
‘I went downstairs to the schnitzel restaurant and that is when I heard gunfire.
‘I have been serving in Gaza for the last six months, doing reconnaissance, looking for tunnels, and we lost a dear brother from our platoon so I instantly recognised the noise. It’s unmistakable.
‘I saw the next tram approaching and tried to stop it but it didn’t stop, when it moved away that is when I saw dead people on the ground of the station.
‘That is also the moment when I saw two terrorists. One started to run in my direction. At this point I was mobbing behind trash cans, hiding in alleyways but kept sight of him.
‘I shot at him – I shot a lot of rounds as I had a pistol and was at a distance, one hit him and then he ran and then fell down.
Lev Kraitman was eating schnitzel in the old port area of Tel Aviv when he heard gunshots
Remarking on his footwear, which has gone viral in Israel, Lev said: ‘I always wear these sandals’
‘I immediately ran to the wounded but I knew they had already died. The local people came and made sure the terrorist was dead.
‘At that point I was with the wounded in the station trying to see who was dead and who was alive.
‘I was full of adrenaline so didn’t register, I checked if they were alive but they were not. I saw three dead in the street of the station. A fourth was a person who we thought was dead but started moving, I wish I knew his name and I hope he survived. He did look seriously injured.’
Chilling footage shows the two terrorists stalking victims at the station on their deadly rampage just a day before the Jewish New Year.
Magen David Adom – Israel ‘s national emergency services – announced that the ‘terrorist’ incident in Jaffa involved multiple casualties
Healthcare professionals are deployed to the scene after armed attack in Jaffa, Israel on October 01, 2024
Video shows a gunman and another suspect dressed in all black prowling along a light rail station before opening fire.
A volley of shots was unleashed before anguished screams were heard and more shots rang out. The suspects then turned around and began advancing along the other side of the platform where bodies were later seen piling up in a separate clip.
According to local police, the two armed men were ‘neutralized’ by security forces.
Last night was not the first time Lev has been a hero after he saved 20 people from death at the Nova festival on October 7.
‘I was besides Nova, I work for Midburn which is the Israeli version of Burning Man,’ he said. ‘On October 7 I was with volunteers for Midburn two miles from nova, it was a production weekend, it wasn’t at Nova.
‘On the morning on October 7 we all hid, and waited for the army. We rescued people from nova, we were in the same situation as them stuck in the field because we didn’t know what was going on outside with terrorists all around.
Last night was not the first time Lev has been a hero after he saved 20 people from death at the Nova festival on October 7
‘We stayed there as we knew terrorists were driving back and forth. At around 5pm we decided that we would line up our cars, put the gas to the floor and go, taking 15-20 youngsters with us in the back of our car.’
After what he has witnessed these past 12 months, Lev is never without his gun.
‘I carry a weapon in Israel because the reality is something is always going to happen and I am on reserve duty,’ he said. ‘The fact I had come out from Gaza put me on alert anyway.’
Asked if he was a hero, Lev told the Mail: ‘I wish I had done better. I wish I could have taken the other one out.
‘It’s very flattering, but it feels weird. I don’t feel like a hero.’
Remarking on his footwear, which has gone viral in Israel, Lev said: ‘I always wear these sandals.’
Asked what he was doing now, he said: ‘The whole world is trying to call me – it’s a lot. I think I’ll just go to bed. I want to figure out my holiday schedule.’
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
