"I strangled a terrorist with my hands, I did such crazy things, and then I sit in the car and fear death"

Daniel Sharabi, a Nova survivor and torch lighter, is once again grappling with the trauma of October 7. Nearly two years after the massacre, the defense walls he built have begun to crack, and the harsh memories are resurfacing. In a special interview, he describes the daily struggle with nightmares, anxieties, and panic attacks, alongside his extensive work to help trauma victims through the association he founded with his brother Neria.

Daniel Sharabi, a survivor of the Nova party and a torch lighter, gives an extensive interview as part of the "Where Are They Today" project by ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth. Nearly two years after October 7, he describes how the defense walls he built around the trauma began to crack after his friend Yosef Haim Ohana, who was kidnapped to Gaza, was released. Sharabi speaks about the daily struggle with nightmares, anxiety attacks, and flashbacks: "I close my eyes and see blood, fire, and gunfire. I don't sleep. It's not a dream, it's while I'm awake." He recounts difficult moments from the massacre, including treating the wounded under fire, strangling a terrorist with his hands, and the hard decision not to run to save his friend Yosef for fear that he and his brother would also be killed. Alongside the personal struggle, Sharabi founded an association with his brother Neria to help trauma victims, which has assisted in hundreds of treatments. He warns of thousands of "invisible" survivors who have not yet received help, and calls for a change in the mental health system in Israel.