Ben Binyamin is playing football again after the Hamas attack

Former Israeli professional soccer player and survivor of the October 7 Hamas attack, Ben Binyamin, has begun a new career as a para-athlete. The former player of the third division club SC Kiryat Yam was seriously injured during the massacre at the Nova music festival in Israel, in which a total of 364 participants were killed and 40 others were taken hostage to Gaza. Armed Palestinian militants had thrown several hand grenades into the shelter where Binyamin had previously fled. The 29-year-old survived the attack, but lost his right leg as a result of his injuries.

After extensive rehabilitation, he made a comeback as a defender with the Israeli national amputee team. “I never thought I would play football again,” Binyamin told Israeli media. “I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to walk anymore, let alone run.”

Para sports are giving him a new perspective: in May, just a few months after his injury, Binyamin will take part in the European Football Championship for Amputees with the Israeli national team.

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According to the para-athlete, however, attempts at rapprochement between Israelis and Palestinians through football are no longer realistic: “Before October 7th, I thought that there could be peace and I have many Arab friends – even from Jenin (city in Israel, editor),” he said. However, he no longer has any hope of improvement after his experiences during the Hamas attack in which more than 1,100 Israelis were killed. On the Palestinian side, more than 32,800 people were killed in subsequent Israeli attacks on Gaza.