Three years after losing his leg in Gaza: the soldier became a father

Three years after losing his leg in Gaza, Captain Yonatan Ben Hamo became a father: his first daughter was born this week at Shamir Medical Center.

Exactly three years after being seriously wounded in the fighting in the Gaza Strip and losing his leg, Captain Yonatan Ben Hamo is celebrating a completely different kind of victory: this week his first daughter was born at Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh). For his wife, Oriya, this is her second daughter, and for the two of them together it is a new and especially moving chapter. In November 2023, Ben Hamo was seriously wounded during the fighting in the Gaza Strip. He fought for his life, lost his leg, and had to undergo a lengthy rehabilitation process. His story gained international exposure in July 2024, when he was among the guests of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his address to both houses of the U.S. Congress. This week, with the birth of his daughter, he said: "This is our victory, we are here to stay."