Sixteen years after suffering life-threatening wounds during Operation Cast Lead, Aharon Karov has officially returned to the IDF, this time as part of a new effort to establish the Disabled Soldiers Department.
Karov, who became an enduring symbol of perseverance and recovery, spent recent years working with at-risk youth, aiming to inspire them to believe in themselves and their potential.
In the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, Karov helped launch the “Continuing Life” initiative, a military program pairing wounded veterans with soldiers recently injured in combat.
“I understood that rehabilitation does not end in the hospital, but continues throughout life,” Karov shared, reflecting on the lessons he learned from his own recovery journey.
In his latest assignment, Karov will oversee the area of placement and employment for injured IDF soldiers within the new placement division of the Disabled Soldiers Department.
“Our goal is clear: To allow anyone injured who is interested in doing so to put his uniform back on, contribute, and turn his injury into a mission,” Karov emphasized.
With deep emotion, Karov added, “I am proud to once again don a uniform, to be part of a system which chooses to turn pain into action and rehabilitation into hope.”
The IDF warmly welcomed Karov’s decision to join this groundbreaking department, explaining that the new Disabled Soldiers Department and its placement program are designed to create new opportunities for wounded soldiers who want to return to active service.
Karov first gained national attention when he was critically injured as a company commander in the Paratrooper Brigade during the early stages of Operation Cast Lead. His call-up came just a day after he celebrated his wedding.
Less than 72 hours after being called to duty, Karov was gravely wounded when terrorists detonated explosives in a house in Gaza. He was urgently evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikvah, where he underwent six life-saving operations on his head and chest in a span of 12 hours, along with an orthopedic surgery.
Against all odds, Karov made an astonishing recovery, waking up within days and moving out of the Intensive Care Unit shortly thereafter, defying grim expectations.
{Matzav.com Israel}