An Israeli actor who has starred in IDF drama Fauda has revealed the horrifying injuries he sustained after he was caught in a blast while fighting Hamas in Gaza.
Idan Amedi, 35, was seriously wounded in an explosion in the Gaza Strip over two weeks ago and said he was left him unrecognisable immediately after being hit by shrapnel.
‘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,’ the actor, who starred in the Netflix drama Fauda, said at a press conference.
He added: ‘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.’
The explosion that injured Amedi killed six soldiers and injured several others. Local media report that it was ‘accidentally caused by troops’.
Idan Amedi, 35, was seriously wounded in an explosion in the Gaza Strip over two weeks ago and said at a press conference yesterday (pictured) that he was left him unrecognisable immediately after being hit by shrapnel.
Ynet said Amedi, who according to the report has been on reserve duty since Hamas launched its attack on southern Israel on October 7, was wounded on Monday (pictured: Amedi, right, with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, left)
Amedi wiped away tears during the press conference and expressed condolences to the loved ones of the six soldiers killed in the explosion
Amedi wiped away tears during the press conference and expressed condolences to the loved ones of the fallen soldiers.
‘The families should know that their sons and daughters made a huge difference. This will stay with me my whole life. One day I will be able to talk about it,’ the IDF reservist, who lost two close friends in the blast, said.
The actor, who according to a report by Israeli news site Ynet has been on reserve duty since Hamas launched its attack on October 7, was wounded on January 8.
After he was injured, the IDF reservist was sedated and intubated in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Israel.
Amedi’s arms were still bandaged up during the press conference, but the father-of-two won’t have to stay in hospital to undergo physical rehab. ‘I look forward to being able to pick my kids up again,’ he said.
Amedi also told his fans: ‘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.’
A reporter from Israel’s N12 news channel had spoken to Amedi about an hour before he was injured, while he was inside Gaza.
Idan Amedi (pictured above), 35, was wounded by shrapnel before being sedated and intubated at an Israeli hospital
He was seriously injured but is in stable condition. His father told Israeli news channel Wala that Amedi’s life is not in immediate danger (pictured: Amedi, left, with a fellow IDF soldier)
‘I’m fine, a little tired,’ he told the station. ‘It’s strange to see you here in the midst of this thing, suddenly, you feel so clean to me, I don’t know how to behave with it.’
He said he and his fellow IDF soldiers had destroyed Hamas tunnels, where they discovered several abandoned weapons.
‘We are working hard here for everyone’s safety, and we love you,’ he said just an hour before he was injured.
An official social media account for Fauda published a post confirming reports that Amedi was injured in action, adding: ‘Idan is one of the kindest, warmest, and most passionate people, loved by all of us.
‘His love of music is a very special part of our set. We ask that everyone respect the privacy of him and his family at this time. Together let us pray for Idan’s full and quick recovery.’
Amedi played Sagi Tzur, a rookie undercover agent in the counter-terrorism unit, during the series’ second to fourth seasons, and is also a successful singer-songwriter in Israel.
‘Fauda’ follows a team of undercover agents from Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet in their operations against Palestinians.
While the show is critically acclaimed, some Palestinians say it trivialises their experience under Israel’s open-ended military occupation of the West Bank.
Israel has enlisted roughly 360,000 reserve soldiers from all walks of life in its war against Hamas.
Amedi is one of them and regularly documented his days in the IDF on social media. In a video posted in November he said: ‘This is not a scene from Fauda, this is real life.’
Amedi played Sagi Tzur (second from right), a rookie undercover agent in the counter-terrorism unit, during the series’ second to fourth seasons, and is also a successful singer-songwriter in Israel
Amedi wrote in a social media post about his service: ‘To my friends, brothers and sisters who are currently fighting on any front, there are no better people than you. There is no greater pride than you. I was privileged to stand by your side’
Amedi (right) was part of the Netflix series Fauda from season two to four
In another post he wrote: ‘To my friends, brothers and sisters who are currently fighting on any front, there are no better people than you. There is no greater pride than you. I was privileged to stand by your side.’
The actor added that what happened on October 7 was keeping him and his fellow soldiers motivated to fight against Hamas.
Before starring in Fauda, Amedi appeared on an Israeli talent competition, where he performed several self-composed songs – many of them about his time in the military.
He even released several albums and the songs he uploaded on YouTube have been viewed by millions of people.
Amedi is married to Israeli social activist Miriam Binyaminov, who he shares a daughter and son with.
His fans from around the world took to Amedi’s Instagram account to wish him a speedy recovery and that he can ‘return home safely’.