Idan Amedi. Photo: Screenshot
Israeli actor Idan Amedi, who is best known for his role in the hit series Fauda on Netflix, was seriously wounded while fighting in Gaza as a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Amedi, who is also one of Israel’s most popular singers, suffered shrapnel wounds while fighting terrorists on Monday before he was evacuated to the Sheba Medical Center by Tel Aviv.
Amedi’s father confirmed the injury to Hebrew-language media, saying his son would live but asked the public to pray for his recovery. The actor is reportedly in stable condition after being sedated and intubated at the hospital.
After Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 others as hostages, Amedi jumped into action, joining the IDF as a reservist. He has been actively fighting in the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave.
“I am ready not to perform or sing a song for a year,” he told his fans in a social media post after a month of fighting. “We must not abandon the citizens of the south and the north. We will not stop fighting [until] the elimination of Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.”
As Israel fights Hamas to its south in Gaza, the Jewish state has been clashing with Hezbollah forces to the north with increasing intensity. The Iran-backed terror group based in Lebanon has been targeting northern Israel since Oct. 7.
In November, Amedi shared a video on Instagram of him directing a strike on a building in Gaza, dedicating the military action to the victims of the Oct. 7 onslaught.
The actor previously paid tribute to victims of the terror attacks when he visited a beach in Gaza with fellow Israelis and raised the flag of the Supernova music festival, where Hamas killed hundreds of young people.
Lior Raz, the main star of Fauda, issued a statement with his co-creator Avi Issacharoff on the news of Amedi’s injury.
“Our dear brother Idan is a true hero. From the first day of the war he decided to put everything aside and go out to fight, first in the north and then in the south,” they said. “We pray for his speedy recovery and are sure that he will be fine. The Fauda family sends our condolences to the families of the victims, and to the families of the injured a full recovery.”
Amedi’s wife on the show, Rona Lee Shimon, wrote: “You are the most noble man I have ever known. There are no other people like you. There are no partners like you. Your pure and generous heart always beats strong. Your human love always goes a moment. Before your shy smile. I’ve been holding a prayer tight for hours … From Oct. 7, you fight like a lion. With all our best children. You are a hero of an era. I love you … Idan get well soon. We are waiting for you.”
Well wishes also came from the United States, where Israeli professional basketball player Deni Avdija, who plays forward for the NBA’s Washington Wizards, wore shoes that he signed with the words: “Recovery for Idan ben Tova Amedia,” in reference to his Hebrew name, which is typically used in prayers for recovery.
Fauda crew member Matan Meir, 38, was killed in action in November while fighting in Gaza as an IDF reservist.
