Magen David Adom mourned its first responders who were murdered during the October 7 massacre earlier this week to mark three years since Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel and murdered over 1,200 Israelis.
According to MDA, 20 members of the emergency services were murdered during the massacre, including seven who were murdered while treating the wounded under fire.
Three MDA personnel were abducted into the Gaza Strip. Among them were volunteer Emergency Medical Technicians Ronen Engel from Kibbutz Nir Oz and Lior Rudaeff from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, whose remains were returned to Israel for burial in October and November 2025, respectively.
MDA said that its ambulances and motorcycles were targeted by terrorists, with 18 ambulances damaged during October 7 and the following days, including eight that were completely destroyed.
"Tragically, some of those who answered the call to save lives never returned home, losing their own lives in the line of duty," MDA Director-General Eli Bin reflected.
"Three years later, we remember every member of our MDA family who was lost and honor their courage, dedication, and sacrifice."
As reports that morning accumulated of rocket fire, casualties, and terrorist infiltrations into military bases and communities, MDA leadership assembled in the early hours at the National Integrated Dispatch Center.
For MDA to mobilize as many available resources as possible, rapid internal decisions were made, such as the initial decision to keep the night shift on duty rather than release personnel as the morning shift arrived.
MDA immediately raised its national alert to the highest level, staffed every available ambulance and emergency dispatch position, and deployed armored ambulances from across the country to southern Israel, while maintaining reserve capacity in case of escalation on the northern front.
MDA received over 21,600 emergency calls during October 7 massacre
More than 21,600 emergency calls were received by its dispatch centers, approximately five times the daily average, said MDA. Hundreds of MDA ambulances operated in southern Israel, evacuating scores of casualties from the Gaza border communities and their surrounding areas.
MDA said that its helicopters also played a critical role in evacuating the wounded. During the morning hours of October 7, MDA said that its helicopters were the only helicopters in the air evacuating wounded people from the affected areas. However, one MDA helicopter was ultimately struck by rocket shrapnel. MDA also coordinated with the Israel Air Force for medical evacuations.
MDA Blood Services also played a critical role from the earliest hours of October 7. Blood collection activity was expanded, including at protected donation sites, to increase blood reserves and ensure a continuous supply of blood units to hospitals and the defense system.
Since then, they have also "pioneered a whole blood protocol" that has "significantly reduced battlefield deaths," according to MDA.
In the days following October 7, thousands of people came forward to donate blood. The Marcus National Blood Services Center, Ramle, enabled MDA to process and distribute blood donations under wartime conditions.
Three years after massacre, MDA has greatly expanded emergency response capacity
Three years on, MDA honored those it lost while pointing to a major expansion of its emergency response capacity, including a fivefold increase in its armored ambulance fleet.
When the October 7 massacre occured, MDA had 20 armored ambulances. Today, it has more than 100 armored ambulances and approximately 2,000 ambulances in total. Its helicopter fleet has also expanded from three helicopters to five.
Additionally, MDA has established community-based initiatives, including expanded midwife services and the Magen Project, which has trained over 17,800 civilians to provide immediate first aid when emergency medical teams are cut off. The organization has also reportedly expanded training, blood collection, humanitarian assistance, and emergency preparedness.
According to MDA, around 5,000 new volunteers have joined the organization since the war broke out on October 7, and the organization's vehicle fleet and its operational and community capabilities have continued to grow.
Since the massacre, MDA has expanded its response capabilities through initiatives designed to strengthen emergency preparedness and bring lifesaving care closer to communities.
“October 7 showed the courage, dedication, and leadership of Magen David Adom’s medics under circumstances unlike anything we had experienced before,” said Bin.
“Our teams went out under heavy fire to treat and evacuate the wounded, putting their own lives at risk while their families sheltered from the attack,” he added.