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The daily life of a soldier in Gaza in "Mispar Ichi, 7.10.23", by Elkana Cohen

Writer's picture: Caroline HaïatCaroline Haïat

Elkana Cohen
Elkana Cohen

100 days fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip. 100 days spent writing every evening in notebooks about the smallest details of what an Israeli soldier experiences on the ground. In his book Mispar Ichi 7.10.23, written in the form of a diary, Elkana Cohen reveals to the world the reality of daily life for the IDF in the hell of Gaza. Marked by the atrocities of war, Elkana nevertheless shows little emotion. He is very smiley, speaks calmly and collectedly. With great assurance, he recalls moments spent in Gaza with his unit and reads excerpts from his book during the interview to support his words. Elkana admits that he was never brilliant in school, and would often submit blank exam papers; his book, now a major success, is a true triumph over life and allows him to share his experience in Gaza, but most importantly, "the story of the Jewish people as a whole," he says.


Elkana Cohen, 27, is the oldest of seven children and hails from Yeruham in the south of the country. He now lives in Raanana with his wife Shiran, whom he met in the army during their service. Before the war, Elkana had opened a gym for children and teenagers in Raanana, which he was forced to close. He is currently studying real estate and is a reserve commando officer. Elkana began his service in the Shaldag unit, then joined the elite Duvdevan unit as a commander.


In general, during his reserve periods, Elkana is not a combatant but works as a project manager in the Duvdevan commando. However, on October 7, things took a different turn: Elkana was called up for nearly four months in the Gaza Strip.

"On October 7, Shiran woke me up around 5:30 AM, she had had a nightmare where hundreds of terrorists were chasing us; I reassured her and told her not to worry, then we fell back asleep before being abruptly woken up an hour later by the sirens. We were staying at my in-laws’ house that night, 15 minutes on foot from our own place," recalls Elkana.


"I quickly realized that the situation was abnormal. I went back home and turned on my phone, which I don’t usually do, to call my commanders, and they told me to prepare to join the base. Then I got a call from a friend in the same unit, and he warned me that Shiran would also have to mobilize. I hurriedly packed our bags, and we set off. We didn’t really know what was ahead, we had mixed fears along with a strong sense of pride in being able to serve and protect our country, especially together," Elkana recounts.


Elkana fought under the 551st Brigade, the first unit to enter the Gaza Strip. Far from his beloved Shiran for several days, Elkana had no way of contacting her. One of his friends suggested that he write her a letter, which symbolized the birth of the young man’s book project. Elkana had an epiphany, and the idea of the book slowly emerged in his mind.


Mispar Ichi
Mispar Ichi

On the same day, Elkana also remembered the story of his grandfather, who fought in the Six-Day War. His grandmother had given him a camera to film the battles and bring proof to the rest of the world. In Gaza, Elkana followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and took his mission very seriously: to document the war at all costs, through writing.


"When I wrote the letter to Shiran, I realized that we were experiencing incredible things and witnessing unheard-of events that the whole world needed to know, not just the soldiers on the ground. I wanted to describe everything that was happening to me there. I decided that from that day on, I would write everything we were going through in Gaza: the emotions, the feelings, the battles, the experiences, the tough moments, the everyday moments, and the joyful moments. Every night, I slept three hours less than the others so I could write. I absolutely had to put on paper everything that was happening in Gaza. It was vital," Elkana explains.


Writing as an outlet: the routine of war


Elkana began keeping a daily dated journal, written in a notebook he found in an abandoned grocery store in Gaza. With sincere, precise, and fluid writing, in the first person, he presents the story of the war from the perspective of the heroes fighting it. He doesn't analyze anything; his raw text reflects the life of a soldier inside Gaza fighting for the existence of his country against barbarism. To preserve his writings, Elkana kept his notebook in plastic bags so it wouldn’t get damaged. During his first leave, he brought his precious notebook back to Israel and took new notebooks with him to Gaza to continue writing.

Elkana's unity in Gaza
Elkana's unity in Gaza

"During free time, I would read passages to my comrades in the unit, and they immediately advised me to publish a book based on this journal. Writing became a sort of therapy, it was a moment where I was alone, and it gave me strength because I felt like I was contributing to something great, for the history of Israel and the Jewish people, by passing on our adventure," says Elkana.


When the book was released last February, in both Hebrew and English, grieving families and families of soldiers reached out to Elkana to thank him and express their gratitude: thanks to him, they were able to understand what soldiers truly endure. "My goal was for the reader to put themselves in the shoes of a soldier and easily relate to what we experience on the ground," Elkana affirms.


Civilians as Human Shields of Hamas


To counter the accusations that the entire world levels against the IDF of "committing genocide in Gaza," Elkana made sure to describe how moral the Israeli army is and how it does its utmost to protect all human life, no matter who they are. In certain passages, he points out the cruelty of Hamas, which uses civilians as human shields, placing soldiers in complex situations.


"One day, we had to neutralize a school in Gaza that was filled with explosives, but many civilians were inside. We urged them to leave, but they refused, and we couldn’t understand why. So, we used a drone, and we saw that Hamas guards were preventing them from fleeing. A 5-year-old child ran and was shot in the head by a terrorist in front of his mother. At that moment, we understood the importance of eliminating the terrorists to allow the civilians to escape," Elkana recalls, deeply moved.


Gaza
Gaza

"Another time, Hamas guards went up to the roof of a building with a baby in their arms and a photographer behind them, waiting for us to shoot so they could then use it for propaganda. Obviously, we didn’t shoot. We don’t share the same values as they do. We entered Gaza to protect our people and ensure that October 7th never happens again, not to kill civilians or people who have nothing to do with the war. We chose to put ourselves in danger to save the life of that baby because we knew they could shoot at us. It’s very important to show what we have to face on the ground: Hamas hides behind the population and complicates the task of the IDF," Elkana laments.


The young man dedicated the 262 pages of his book to 26 of his friends who fell in battle. Elkana lost many loved ones on October 7th and in the days that followed, but he refuses to sink into sadness and despair. He has overcome his trauma and is fighting to move forward.


"I want to send the message that everything will be alright, that we must believe in ourselves. I actually ended the book with this phrase, which was our feeling as we left Gaza," he says, reading aloud: "This is now our new mission, a mission that each of us feels deeply, that of the unity of the people."


Elkana Cohen in Gaza
Elkana Cohen in Gaza

After leaving Gaza and completing several reserve periods, some of them on the Lebanese border, Elkana is convinced that the most important mission for the Jewish people is to stay united and avoid divisions. "In Gaza, we fought the enemy together, with soldiers from all backgrounds—left, right, religious, secular, and Arabs. So, we must show that in civilian life, our people are capable of staying united," he says.


Elkana is currently working on the French version of his book, which will be released soon. Aware of the growing anti-Semitism in France, Elkana wants to spread the truth about the activities of the IDF as much as possible in order to put an end to misinformation.


Mispar Ichi
Mispar Ichi

War Photos at the Rabin Center


Elkana also participated in an exhibition at the Rabin Center in Tel Aviv, where he showcased 11 photos he took during the war in Gaza, along with videos. He also gives lectures on the war around the world, in both English and Hebrew.


"Netanyahu spoke about my book on television and quoted passages from it, which shows the impact of this story, which is ours. I hope this book will serve as a historical document for future generations, so that the war we experienced for the survival of the State of Israel is never forgotten," Elkana concluded.


The books in English and Hebrew are available for sale on his website and on Amazon, as well as in bookstores.


Elkana’s website: https://elkana-cohen.co.il/


Caroline Haïat

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