In a powerful reminder of life continuing even in the midst of war, a baby was born inside a Magen David Adom ambulance in southern Israel just moments before a missile alert from Iran forced the medical team to take cover.

The dramatic incident unfolded near the Nevatim Interchange, where emergency medics were transporting a 23-year-old woman whose contractions had become increasingly urgent. It quickly became clear the baby would not wait until the hospital.

Paramedics pulled over and delivered the baby inside the ambulance’s mobile intensive care unit.

Seconds after the newborn’s first cry was heard, the team received an alert on their phones warning that a missile had been launched from Iran toward the region.

Paramedic Elad Pas (shown in the cover photo), who assisted in the delivery, described the extraordinary moment that followed.

“I held the baby and covered him,” Pas said, explaining that he instinctively shielded the newborn with his own body as the sirens sounded and the team rushed to secure the ambulance.

The crew quickly put on protective vests and helmets while ensuring the safety of the mother, the newborn, and a family member who was traveling with them. Because the mother had just given birth, moving her out of the ambulance was not possible.

Instead, the paramedics pulled the vehicle to what they believed was the safest position and waited until the threat passed.

For Pas, the moment captured the strange duality of life in Israel during wartime.

Birth is usually a moment filled with celebration and hope, he said, but this one unfolded under the shadow of incoming missiles.

After the alert ended and the situation was declared safe, the ambulance resumed its journey and transported the mother and newborn to the hospital. Both were reported to be in good condition.

“In our work, we see very difficult situations,” Pas said. But in this case, he noted, the moment also represented something deeply hopeful: a new life entering the world—even as war continued around them.