Hero Israeli reveals how he chased Tel Aviv massacre gunmen in his sandals before shooting one of them dead after seeing rampage unfold while eating schnitzel – as video shows him opening fire

The hero who shot one of the Jaffa terrorists has told how he chased them in his sandals before shooting them with his pistol.

Lev Kraitman was eating schnitzel in the old port area of ​​Tel Aviv when he heard gunshots.

Without hesitation, he rushed to the light rail station where they went on a rampage, shooting everyone they came across.

Lev, who saved 20 people from the Nova massacre last year before serving in Gaza, pulled out his gun and confronted the attackers, shooting one of them dead.

Incredible footage shows him running after them in his sandals as he fires, forcing the other to flee.

Lev treated the wounded before emergency services arrived and the second terrorist was eliminated shortly afterwards.

Authorities later confirmed that seven people were killed and 11 injured in the attack, which came just minutes before Iran’s terrifying rocket attack on Israel.

Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Lev said: ‘I live right above the light rail station in Jaffa, and I had just finished work and was hungry because I had nothing in it.

‘I went downstairs to the schnitzel restaurant and then I heard gunshots.

“I’ve been serving in Gaza for the past six months, doing reconnaissance, searching tunnels, and we lost a dear brother from our platoon, so I recognized the sound right away. It’s unmistakable.

‘I saw the next tram approaching and tried to stop it, but it didn’t stop. As he drove away, I saw dead people on the ground of the station.

‘That is also the moment when I saw two terrorists. One started running towards me. At that point, I chased trash cans and hid in alleys, but kept an eye on him.

“I shot at him – I shot a lot of bullets because I had a gun and was at a distance, one hit him and then he ran away and then fell down.

‘I immediately ran to the wounded, but I knew they were already dead. The locals came and made sure the terrorist was dead.

‘At that time I was in the station with the wounded, trying to see who was dead and who was alive.

‘I was full of adrenaline, so I didn’t register. I checked to see if they were still alive, but they weren’t. I saw three dead in the street of the station. A fourth was a person who we thought was dead, but who started moving. I wish I knew his name and I hope he survives. He looked seriously injured.”

Chilling footage shows the two terrorists stalking victims at the station during their deadly rampage just a day before the Jewish New Year.

Video shows a gunman and another suspect, dressed all in black, sneaking past a light rail station before opening fire.

A volley of shots was unleashed before agonized screams were heard and more shots rang out. The suspects then turned and began advancing up the other side of the platform, where the bodies later piled up in a separate clip.

According to local police, the two armed men were ‘neutralized’ by security forces.

Last night wasn’t the first time Lev was a hero after he saved twenty people from dying at the Nova festival on October 7.

“I worked alongside Nova for Midburn, Israel’s version of Burning Man,” he said. ‘On October 7 I was with volunteers for Midburn, two miles from Nova, it was a production weekend, it wasn’t at Nova.

‘On the morning of October 7, we all hid and waited for the army. We rescued people from Nova, we were in the same situation as those trapped in the field because we didn’t know what was going on outside with terrorists everywhere.

‘We stayed there because we knew terrorists were driving back and forth. Around 5 p.m. we decided we would line up our cars, put the pedal to the metal and leave, with 15-20 young people in the back of the car.”

After what he’s seen over the past twelve months, Lev is never without his gun.

“I carry a gun in Israel because the reality is always that something will always happen and I am on reserve duty,” he said. ‘The fact that I had come from Gaza put me on edge.’

Asked if he was a hero, Lev told the Mail: ‘I wish I had done better. I wish I could have taken the other one out.

‘It’s very flattering, but it feels weird. I don’t feel like a hero.’

About his shoes, which have gone viral in Israel, Lev said: “I wear these sandals all the time.”

When asked what he was doing now, he said: ‘The whole world is trying to call me – it’s a lot. I think I’ll go to bed. I want to figure out my vacation schedule.”