'Fauda' Actor Shares 1st Photo Of Injuries He Received During Gaza Op

Israel's full-scale military operation in Gaza has moved south and the defence forces are preparing to pound Rafah, the only border crossing with Egypt and a transit for humanitarian aid. 

Idan Amedi, who starred in the action series 'Fauda', was seriously injured in Gaza during the military operation. The actor has released the first picture of the injuries he received in the battle.

 Mr Amedi was serving in the reserve combat engineering unit in Gaza and in January, an explosion left him unconscious for several days after shrapnel from the explosive hit his eye sockets, jaw and neck.

Photo Has Graphic Content, Viewer Discretion Is Advised

The impact of the explosion caused burn injuries and shrapnel hit the eye sockets, which led to excessive swelling and severe battle wounds on his face. The actor called it a "miracle" that he survived and said "That's how miracles are, you have to accept them and above all not forget that they happened. Consecrate the gift you received, with all the angles and fragments, and remind yourself especially when the road is arduous. There are other beautiful things to see."

The actor in his Instagram post in Hebrew said, "One of the doctors at the hospital calls me '360', He says that there is a tendency for people to think that if you have made a 360-degree turn then you are back at the starting point, but with battle wounded the story is a little different. This trip through the sharp, flat and dull corners of life, of war, changes you, shapes you and through it you are reborn."

"Happy birthday sad second in two months. Thank God for all the gifts. And thanks to all the well-wishers, someday I will be able to thank you all, And to the life of adventures on the way," the actor wrote.

Amedi is best known for playing agent Sagi Tzur in "Fauda," a Netflix drama about an elite undercover team trying to track down a notorious Palestinian terrorist. Amedi joined the cast in 2017.

'No End In Sight'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in no mood to order a unilateral ceasefire and stop operations in Gaza. The troops are advancing south to take control of Rafah, which it calls the last bastion of Hamas. Over 1 million Palestinians live in shelters and relief camps in Rafah.

Netanyahu has rejected calls to spare Rafah, arguing that failing to launch the operation would mean "losing the war", while the military says it is working to move civilians from the area to minimise casualties.

The air-ground assault in Gaza has killed over 28,000 people, the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry said, though Israel has contested the figures. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing over 1,100 people and taking over 250 hostages and 130 presumed to be still in Gaza. 

The US has vetoed the ceasefire resolution in the United Nations Security Council and has backed Israel, its longtime ally, with military and relief aid since the war began. The US veto threat remains in next week's possible UNSC vote.