Israeli man outruns Hamas in bullet-riddled Tesla, Elon Musk reacts

The Israeli man escaped a firing Hamas in a Tesla prompting Elon Musk to react on X.

In a heart-pounding escape, an Israeli resident, identified only as 'C,' found himself in a life-or-death chase with Hamas militants, all while behind the wheel of his Tesla Model 3 Performance. As the conflict between Israel and Hamas unfolded, the man’s extraordinary story of survival emerged, revealing the incredible resilience of both man and machine.

The survivor, a member of the Kibbutz Mefalsim emergency squad, was called to action as Hamas forces invaded settlements outside Gaza. In a desperate race against time, he jumped into his Tesla to reach the assembly point. What followed was a harrowing ordeal that tested the limits of technology and human determination.

"The terrorists recognized me from a distance of 10 yards," the man recounted from his hospital bed at Sheba Hospital, where he was receiving treatment for multiple injuries.

"In addition to their Kalashnikovs, they had a machine gun that fired bullets of a larger caliber. They did not realize that it was an EV, so they shot at the front, hoping to hit the engine that wasn't there, and at the back, trying to set the fuel tank on fire. Of course, there was also no fuel tank. They shot my tires. I pressed the accelerator, and they started chasing me."

The man’s ordeal was shared on X by Gilad Alper, head of Israel's Freedom Party and former member of the advisory board to the Israeli Ministry of Finance.

This life-and-death struggle pitted a lone driver in a private car against about 15 well-armed militants. As the militants relentlessly pursued him, while the man relied on his Tesla's acceleration and dual-drive system, which boasts more than 530 horsepower, to outpace his assailants.

"They shot my tires, but the acceleration of the Tesla is amazing even in this situation, and the dual drive managed to keep me on the road. I quickly got away from them," he added. Remarkably, the man reached speeds of up to 112 mph with flat tires.

After enduring numerous bullets to his Tesla, the man finally made it to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon. Despite the car's battle scars, it managed to bring him right to the hospital gates. Approximately 100 bullet holes riddled the car's exterior, yet the front window remained cracked but intact. Rescuers had to break the door windows to extract C for medical treatment.

"Bullets hit my legs and hand, got one in the skull, and I was also hit by shrapnel. But my head works, and motivation kept me on the road and even now in the hospital. The car continued to drive, the battery didn't heat up, but it took a lot of damage. There is no part that didn't take a bullet," the man explained adding the car still works.

"It still drives if you press the pedal, but it seems to me that I should already be thinking about my next Tesla," he said.

Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk reacted to the man's story, that has over 2.4 million views, with relief, expressing, "Glad he made it."

Glad he made it!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 14, 2023

Also read: Israel-Hamas War: No, Palestinians can’t just leave Gaza

Concurrently, Hamas is suspected of holding around 150 Israeli and foreign nationals hostage in the network of tunnels beneath Gaza. Additionally, Israel has accused Hamas of killing 40 babies, with distressing images shared by government officials on social media, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region.