Israeli occupation soldier Nimrod Cohen, who was captured by the Al Qassam Brigades in the Gaza Strip during Operation Al Aqsa Flood, has recounted striking details about the first moments of the operation, his capture, and his meeting with the head of Hamas’ Political Bureau, the martyred Yahya Sinwar, expressing his astonishment at Sinwar’s presence and demeanour.
Cohen is known for the widely circulated image showing him being pulled from his tank after his capture, dragged along the ground by fighters before being taken into captivity in Gaza. He remained in detention until the final days of the genocidal war, before being released as part of the comprehensive prisoner exchange deal.
In an interview on Thursday with the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz, Cohen said he awoke at five in the morning on the day Operation Al Aqsa Flood began. He was serving with two tank crews alongside soldiers from the Golani Brigade along the separation fence with Gaza.
He stated that the tank crews had fallen asleep while on guard duty and woke to the sound of mortar shell explosions, followed by a breach of the fence.
He revealed that the tank they were operating was already malfunctioning. When they moved following the alert, its temperature rose sharply and it was unable to travel at more than ten kilometres per hour.
He added: “At the moment we took position, we were struck by a rocket propelled projectile. Its shrapnel entered the tank driver, soldier Shaked Dahan, who lost consciousness. We tried to rotate the turret to fire, but it was disabled by the explosion. At that time, one of the fighters was already on top of the tank.”
He noted that the tank quickly filled with smoke as explosions and gunfire continued around them. The internal chemical protection system failed to operate. “I saw two soldiers exiting through the tank hatches. I tried to get out but went back to try to breathe through a tube. Then I saw boots climbing over the turret through the gun sight.”
Cohen said he faced two choices: to draw his weapon and fire, “most likely they would kill me,” or to exit unarmed and hope for survival. “They pulled me forcefully out of the tank. I felt detached from what was happening around me, and even a sense of euphoria that I had escaped the smoke filled tank and was breathing air.”
He stated that he was transported by vehicle into Gaza. Upon arrival, Al Qassam fighters tore off his clothes, restrained him, and took him into a tunnel. There he met other captives and began to understand what had unfolded.
He revealed that the martyred Yahya Sinwar came unexpectedly to the tunnel where he was being held at the beginning of negotiations. “I did not recognise him, but I understood he was an important figure because he arrived with many people. He sat with us for ten minutes and said that we had to wait until we returned home.”
He continued: “He seemed like a charismatic person who knew how to be kind. He did not appear to me like the leader of a terrorist organisation,” according to his description.
