(DailyVantage.com) – Addir Mesika, a 23-year-old American man, was murdered on October 7th while distracting Hamas terrorists to pull them away from three women. Mesika was deemed a hero for his actions.
Mesika was born and grew up in New York. He was in Israel at an electronic music festival near the Gaza Strip. Mesika was with his girlfriend, another woman, and three lifelong friends. This festival became the scene of a brutal massacre when the Hamas terrorists ambushed Israel on October 7, 2023.
While unwinding in some tents at the end of the festival, Mesika and his party heard sirens warning of incoming rockets. The Hamas terrorists attempted to distract Israeli civilians from their onslaught by firing missiles. Unaware of Hamas’s plan, Mesika contacted his brother about the missiles and told him he was going with his friends to a bomb shelter to seek cover. In the meantime, Hamas had begun their invasion of Israel.
The group became aware of their dangerous situation when they heard machine guns and saw terrorists throwing grenades into neighboring shelters. When they noticed the attackers were nearing their shelter, Mesika and his friend Ely ordered the women to hide. Then, the two men exited the shelter and made themselves known to the terrorists in an attempt to distract them from harming the rest of their friends. They charged towards their attackers and unfortunately died after being shot by the terrorists. The women were found and rescued six hours later.
Mesika and Ely were deemed heroes after they successfully saved the lives of the three women. The two men, and another childhood friend Matan, were all laid to rest near each other in Israel. 3,000 people attended Mesika’s funeral.
Morielle Lotan, Mesika’s aunt, said their families were “broken and devastated.” Lotan believed Mesika knew he would lose his life. Yet, he still protected his friends and is now a hero. Mesika had a larger-than-life personality. Lotan said his family must now honor him and carry his memory by meaningfully living their lives.
Lotan was amazed by the outpouring of love and support her family received after the Hamas massacre. It’s not only military aid but also the “human-to-human” support they have received, Lotan said.
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