Staff Sgt. Sahar Elbaz was a long way from home in 2014 when he was thrust into Gaza.
Elbaz made Aliyah from the US in 2012. Two years later, as part of the IDF's Givati Brigade, he was faced with a nightmare situation as his unit was attacked by terrorists in Rafah.
The lone soldier ignored his commander's orders to take cover and returned fire - overcoming a jam in his weapon to eliminate four out of five terrorists.
Elbaz was one of only five soldiers to receive the Chief of Staff’s citation in Operation Protective Edge, which was bestowed upon him for his bravery, resourcefulness and fortitude - and he now is being awarded Nefesh B'Nefesh's Bonei Zion award 2016.
The brave young man recounted his experiences in a Channel 10 interview Tuesday night.
"I was in a position where I was the only one who was exposed to the shooting, when suddenly five terrorists attacked me with Kalashnikovs and threw grenades," Elbaz stated. "As I was shooting in response I encountered the jam, which I overcame thanks to exercises and training."
"I killed four out of five terrorists; the fifth ran into a nearby mosque, where he was killed by another soldier," he added.
Elbaz says that at the height of the encounter terrorists came within six or seven feet of him - and he cannot explain how he survived when he was so close to death.
He said that, just like he was told during training, "until you're in it in real time, you don't know if you're built to handle such an incident."
"But I proved it to myself - I came to Israel, and I did this for the benefit of the country."
Elbaz's parents remain in the US, but he has two sisters who live in Israel.
He hopes that the award will help encourage his parents to make Aliyah.
"I miss my parents, and I knew that I would miss them, but we hope they will return to Israel soon," he said.