In a harrowing account, an Israeli mother, Avital Aldjem, has recounted her terrifying ordeal of being abducted by Hamas militants along with her two young children, only to be abandoned in Gaza amidst the chaos of gunfire and destruction.
Aldjem, who had been hiding in a closet in her home with her children, four-year-old Negev and four-month-old Eshel, was forcibly taken by the terrorists. "They took us from house to house, the whole time there were gunshots along the way," Aldjem revealed in a conversation with i24news reporter Natasha Raquel Kirtchuk Gutman. She described a chilling scene of "puddles of blood everywhere."
The militants, she said, were setting homes and cars ablaze. They then escorted her and her children to the perimeter fence of the Kibbutz, where a breach had been made. "They began to walk us toward Gaza," Aldjem recounted.
Throughout the terrifying journey, the terrorists hurried them along, with the sound of gunfire echoing around them. Negev, her elder child, was carried on the shoulders of one of the militants, crying out to be let down.
In an unexpected turn of events, upon reaching Gaza, the militants simply set the children down and continued on their way, leaving Aldjem and her children behind. "At that moment, I realized we were free to go home," she said.
The journey back home was fraught with danger. Aldjem carried her injured son Negev on her back, while also encouraging him to walk. "He was brave," she said. "I told him we need to get away from the bad men and go back home to the good people."
The sound of explosions accompanied them on their trek back home. Upon reaching the border, they encountered another group of militants. However, they managed to evade them and continue their journey.
This incident comes amidst the worst attack on Israel by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip in nearly 50 years. The conflict has resulted in an estimated 700 Israeli fatalities, over 2,000 injuries, and around 100 confirmed abductions by Hamas. On the Palestinian side, Gaza health officials report at least 300 deaths and 2,200 injuries.
In response to the escalating violence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Israelis of a "long and difficult" war ahead. He has also pledged to exact "mighty vengeance" against Hamas.
Login