A fearless British man threw back seven grenades thrown by Hamas terrorists into a bomb shelter as he protected partygoers during the October 7 terror attack on Israel, terrifying footage shows.
Aner Shapira, 22, was tragically killed by the eighth grenade thrown into the shelter where he was hiding with a group of about thirty others.
The young man was among the victims during the Re’im festival massacre, in which Palestinian gunmen killed 325 civilians and off-duty soldiers, injured many more and took at least 37 people hostage into Gaza.
Shapira’s mother told Israel’s Kan News that her son stood at the entrance to the shelter and threw the grenades back out as they were thrown in one by one.
“He stood at the entrance and threw the grenades outside and he managed to save so many people,” she told the outlet.
A fearless British man threw back seven grenades thrown by Hamas terrorists as he protected partygoers during the October 7 terror attack on Israel, stunning footage shows
Mr Shapiro is said to have placed himself in the line of fire as Hamas gunmen approached, blocking access to the hideout and throwing back grenades launched by the terrorists.
Chilling footage captured by a dashcam in a car parked outside the shelter appears to confirm this, with the video recorded just after 8am showing several armed terrorists breaking into the shelter and firing shots through the entrance.
The terrified people in the bunker are not visible in the footage, which was shared by the First South First Responders group via the messaging app Telegram.
The clip begins with the group of terrorists standing around the entrance, while a shirtless man – who has been captured – sits on the ground.
Two cars – one of which is from where the video was shot – are parked outside.
One of the terrorists throws the first grenade through the door, prompting a person inside to take a break across the road. As he runs away, the Hamas gunman fires shots at him. Although it cannot be seen in the footage, it is believed he was shot.
The shooters are then seen trying to attack the bunker. Some shoot through the door, while someone throws grenades.
However, every time he does, the explosives are sent right back at him as Shapira throws them back out the door, causing confusion and panic.
Chilling footage captured by the dashcam of a car parked outside the shelter shows several armed terrorists swarming the shelter and firing shots through the entrance at people inside
Hamas gunmen can be seen throwing a total of eight grenades in, seven of which are thrown back out of the bunker. Tragically, the eighth exploded in Shapira
Aner Shapira, 22, was tragically killed by the eighth grenade thrown into the shelter where he was hiding along with a group of about 30 others
The terrorist then appears to call for reinforcements, and other Hamas gunmen come running to the entrance of the shelter. They also shoot through the door and throw grenades into the shelter.
The same grenades are thrown back from the bunker entrance, causing the terrorists to scatter before the explosives detonate.
In total, the terrorists can be seen in the video throwing eight explosives into the bunker during the four-minute video. Seven grenades are seen being thrown back by Shapira, until tragically the eight does not return.
At the end of the video, a huge explosion erupts from the doorway, followed by smoke and dust. The grenade exploded in Shapira’s hands.
“Shapiro ultimately died from the injuries he sustained while stopping the terrorists while fighting to save the lives of his fellow partygoers,” South First Responders wrote Tuesday in posting the video.
“Some of those he protected survived the attack on the shelter to tell his heroic story.”
Last month, Shapira’s grandmother Yamima Ben-Menahem claimed he “assumed leadership” during the crisis and tried to calm everyone else down.
He then placed himself in the line of fire as Hamas gunmen approached, blocking access to the shelter and throwing back grenades launched by the terrorists.
He has been praised by a survivor of the attack as the “guardian angel” who “saved our lives and deserves a medal of honor.”
Shapira was one of more than 300 people killed during the Supernova Festival on October 7
After seeking shelter with the group, Mr. Shapiro reportedly attempted to calm the terrified festival-goers.
“He said the army was only half an hour away and that he was sure everything would be fine,” Ms Ben-Menahem told the broadcaster.
When armed Hamas terrorists approached the hideout, he used his body as a barrier between the gunmen and the group.
“When they (Hamas) started throwing grenades into the shelter, he said, ‘I’m going to throw them back and if I miss one, you do the rest of the work,’” she said, adding, “He was standing there and threw back one grenade after another’.
After his death, Hamas allegedly entered the shelter and took five or six hostages before shooting the rest of the group, Ms. Ben-Menahem claims.
It reportedly took several hours for help to arrive and only “those who were not seriously injured” survived.
After the incident, Ms. Ben-Menahem said some survivors had contacted their families to say Mr. Shapiro “saved our lives.”
Another posted a tribute on Facebook, writing: “Aner Shapiro… saved our lives and he deserves a medal of honor for being an angel who watched over us.”
Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel from Gaza on October 7, with the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im being one of their first targets.
Other terrifying images from the festival showed the terrorists flying into Israel from Gaza on hand gliders and driving into other vehicles before opening first.
The land around the Nova festival site appeared to have been set on fire by Hamas terrorists
Tents and festival equipment were abandoned during the attack
Witnesses have spoken of other heinous acts committed by the terrorists.
The terror group killed about 1,200 people and captured about 240 prisoners in its surprise Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.
Since then, more than 11,200 Palestinians – two-thirds of them women and minors – have been killed since the war began, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which does not distinguish between civilian and militant deaths.
About 2,700 people have been reported missing.