October 9th 2023.
Ahal Besorai, a British-Israeli man, is anxiously awaiting news of his younger sister's family. Yonat Or, her husband Dror, and their two teenage children, Noam, 15, and Alma, 13, were seen by another resident being abducted by Hamas terrorists at a kibbutz in southern Israel. Their third child, Yali, was not captured.
Ahal, a Cambridge law graduate, spoke to The Agency after Hamas claimed to have taken 130 Israelis hostage. He said of his sister's family, "At 6.30am there was a Hamas missile attack from Gaza. They woke up and went into a safe room in their house, called a mamad in Hebrew, and locked the door. At first they thought it was a missile attack and then they heard shooting and realised it was much more sinister."
Video footage has emerged on social media showing heavily armed gunmen at the kibbutz in southern Israel. Ahal's father and another sister were evacuated to safety after hiding in their homes' safe rooms. Ahal said, "I just feel extremely sad and helpless. I try not to run scenarios in my head about where they are and what could happen to them. I just try to detach myself and to pray for a positive outcome."
Ahal, a former soldier in the elite Shayetet 13 commando unit of the Israeli Navy, spoke of the Hamas incursion into southern Israel. He said, "There was an intelligence failure of enormous magnitude. I think this happened for two reasons, the first being that Israel was under the conception that Hamas was not bent on destroying Israel but on maintaining its power in Gaza. Hamas used this as a cloak, if you like, for what it might consider as an attempt to destroy the state of Israel. Another conception that Israel had was that the fence it had built around the Gaza Strip with infra-red sensors and cameras was impregnable. Hamas proved in half an hour that this was wrong."
Ahal told The Agency that he and his family are waiting for news from the kibbutz of the identities of the community's dead and missing, a process which he expects will take days. Ahal is now living in Manila, the Philippines, but he continues to wait anxiously for news of his younger sister's family. His hope is for a positive outcome, but the situation remains uncertain and the future is unknown.
Ahal Besorai is anxiously waiting for news of his sister's family after they were reportedly abducted by Hamas terrorists at a kibbutz in southern Israel.
Ahal recounted the harrowing events of the morning of the terrorist attack. At 6.30am, Hamas launched a missile attack from Gaza. The Or family, comprised of Yonat, Dror, Noam, 15, Alma, 13, and Yali, who was not captured, awoke and moved to their safe room in the house, a mamad in Hebrew, and locked the door.
However, the family was not safe for long. Video footage shows heavily armed terrorists searching buildings in the kibbutz. The family, in an attempt to hide, stayed in their home. Unfortunately, the terrorists found them and pulled them out of the house, transporting them to Gaza.
Ahal's father and sister were evacuated after they hid in their own safe rooms, waiting for the Israeli military to arrive and engage the terrorists. Ahal, a Cambridge law graduate, spoke of feeling helpless, and his fear is furthered by Hamas's claim of 130 Israelis being taken hostage.
Ahal, a lawyer who lives in the Philippines, last spoke with Dror who said they couldn't speak because they were surrounded by gunmen. Video clips of the incident have been shared on social media, and Ahal speaks of his sadness and helplessness as he prays for a positive outcome. He also speaks of his 17-year-old brother, Yali, who is effectively an orphan now until they find his parents.
Ahal is a former soldier in the elite Shayetet 13 commando unit of the Israeli Navy, and he spoke of the intelligence failure in Israel, believing that Hamas used it as a cover for their attempt to destroy the state of Israel. He also believes that Israel was under the misconception that the fence around Gaza was impregnable, which Hamas proved wrong in half an hour.
Ahal and his family are now waiting to hear of the identities of those dead and missing in the kibbutz, a process which is expected to take days. Ahal's helplessness is one that is shared by many in the face of such tragedy.
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