It's nighttime in the Binyamin region. A Palestinian family from the village of Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya notices an upturned bus that had rolled downhill from the nearby road leading to the West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Levona. Without a moment to lose, the family heads out while still in their pajamas, and under the pouring rain assist those hurt in the accident, where two people had lost their lives.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Capt. Sivan Raviv, a medical officer in the Binyamin Division, told Ynet that the family was the first to call emergency services late Friday night, and that their quick thinking saved lives. "They didn't hesitate or stop to weigh things out. They saw that human lives were on the line. When we arrived at the site we saw the family members already trying to extract the injured parties and offer them treatment."

Emergency services rush to the site of the accident (צילום: חגי דקל)

X





The upturned bus (Photo: Judea and Samaria Fire Fighting and Rescue Unit)

An emergency services ambulance arrives on the scene

At that very moment, the region's complex reality was underscored when a few kilometers away from the accident infantry soldiers from the Kfir Brigade were in hot pursuit of an armed terrorist near the Palestinian village of Aboud, where two shooting attacks had taken place with a 24-hour period. When word of the accident reached them, the soldiers divided into two groups—one to continue the chase after the terrorist, and the other to go tend to those hurt in the accident. Once arriving on the scene, they worked together with members of the Palestinian family to help rescue the injured parties.

Capt. Raviv

Photo: TPS

Emergency services divise a rescue plan (Photo: Judea and Samaria Fire Fighting and Rescue Unit)

Shortly after the family called to report the accident, Magen David Adom, a fire fighting unit, residents from Ma'ale Levona and additional medical teams arrived, and together they managed to evacuate those injured to several hospitals within an hour and a half. "We didn't give up," said Sivan. "It was hard to carry those injured on gurneys through the mud, while we fell down, got back up and lifted them once more, until reaching the ambulances and the two helicopters belonging to Unit 669 (the IDF Combat Search and Rescue unit—ed) that were waiting for us nearby."

Photo: TPS

"We realized this wasn't a regular occurrence," recalled Raviv. "The bus was turned over and completely destroyed. We couldn't afford to miss any one. The bus was totally crushed. We weren't thinking of anything but their quick extraction."