‘I was so burned, no one recognized me,’ says ‘Fauda’ actor Amedi of his Gaza injuries
Discharged from hospital after seriously hurt in blast, reservist has broken bones in fingers, but promises to get back to playing guitar; hopes to be in ‘Fauda’ season 5; urges unity
Renee Ghert-Zand is the health reporter and a feature writer for The Times of Israel.
As he prepared to be discharged from Sheba Medical Center on Thursday, Israeli actor and singer-songwriter Idan Amedi promised to return to entertaining his fans in Israel and around the world after recovering from serious injuries he sustained while fighting in the Gaza Strip.
“I am grateful for all the messages, love, and support I have received from thousands of people. My spirit is stronger than ever. I will return to acting and singing. If I can, I will even go back to fighting in the war,” he said.
Amedi, perhaps best known for his role on the hit TV show “Fauda,” was seriously injured by an explosion on January 8 as he served in the Combat Engineering Corps reserves in Gaza. Six soldiers were killed and several others, including Amedi, were injured in the incident, which was apparently accidentally caused by troops.
Two and a half weeks later, Amedi and his doctors told reporters at a press conference at Sheba that he still faces a long course of rehabilitation, and that he is expected to make a good recovery.
Amedi, looking weak and with bandaged arms, shared the details of his condition when he first arrived at the hospital.
“I was burned to the point that no one recognized me. Shrapnel pierced my neck and spine, and I am lucky that none of it hit any main blood vessels. I also have broken bones, including fingers, but I know I will get back to playing guitar and hopefully, I will be able to be in ‘Fauda’ season five,” he said.
After several days sedated and intubated in the intensive care unit, Amedi began to make a relatively quick recovery and his doctors agreed that he did not have to do in-patient rehabilitation. Instead, Amedi will undergo physical and psychological rehab as an out-patient via Sheba’s virtual hospital services.
“I look forward to being able to pick my kids up again,” he said.
Amedi preferred to speak about other injured soldiers and his fallen comrades, rather than himself. At times he became overcome with emotion, sighing heavily and wiping tears from his eyes.
“People tell me I am a hero and symbol, but I am just one of everyone. If there is one good thing that happened from my injuries, it is that I can be an ambassador for those who have also been injured,” the actor said.
“It’s important to let them have space to express their pain, both physical and emotional. It will take a long time for them to heal, so please accept them with understanding,” he said.
Amedi expressed condolences to the families of the fallen, saying that he knows that their pain will remain forever.
“The families should know that their sons and daughters made a huge difference,” he said.
On a personal note, Amedi shared the emotional wound he bears and the responsibility he feels for not being able to make sure that the soldiers he commanded returned home safely.
“This will stay with me my whole life. One day I will be able to talk about it,” he said.
Amedi singled out two of his good friends who were killed in the January 8 blast, whom he had known since his early days in the army. They were Sgt. First Class (res.) Gavriel Bloom, 27, from Beit Shemesh and Sgt. Maj. (res.) Akiva Yasinskiy, 35, from Ramat Gan, whom Amedi called his “moral compass.”
“Akiva was the last one I saw before the explosion and the first thing I wanted to know when I woke up in the hospital was whether he survived,” Amedi said.
Amedi was asked whether he was aware while fighting in Gaza what was happening back in Israel in terms of disagreements in the government and disunity reemerging among the people.
He answered that while in Gaza, he and the other soldiers were disconnected from the news at home, but that when he crossed back into Israel for short periods and was updated, he was very disappointed.
After seeing the conditions in Gaza and being part of the effort to destroy Hamas’s tunnels and weapons infrastructure, Amedi said that rescuing or securing the release of the hostages must be the top priority for the government and the military.
“Israel has many tools and kinds of leverage to deal with the hostage issue. I think not everything has been done yet,” he said.
Amedi also shared his opinions on the political situation in Israel pre- and post-October 7. He said that when the nation began tearing apart a year ago because of the government’s proposed legal reform, he was angry. When October 7 happened, it reminded him of devastating events that happened to the Jewish people over the millennia.
“We need to change or those kinds of things will happen again,” Amedi said.
“The Israeli people are the strongest in the world. When we are united, we are invincible. We will win this war but it will take time. It’s not just a slogan for me. I truly believe we have to be united. We have to stop with the stupid and superficial talk,” he said.
