In a tragic turn of events, a lifelong advocate for Palestinian rights, an American woman, fell victim to a brutal attack by Hamas terrorists in Israel, her family has disclosed.
The incident is part of a larger wave of violence that has seen over 1,300 Israelis killed since the surprise attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel on October 7. Among the casualties are 29 Americans, including 67-year-old Cindy Flash, a native of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Cindy and her husband, Igal Flash, 66, were reportedly killed by terrorists while seeking refuge in a safe room within their home in Kfar Aza, a kibbutz in southern Israel near the Gaza border. Igal, a son of Holocaust survivors, shared his wife's tragic fate.
The New York Post reported that the couple had planned a peaceful day before the onslaught. "On Saturday, the Flashs had planned to enjoy a picnic together, followed by an annual community kite-flying event where a DJ was going to play," the publication stated.
Their daughter, Keren Flash, painted a vivid picture of the harrowing scene, "We kept hearing shootings and gunfire, and bombs, and alarms, and just didn't know what was happening. Just our worst nightmares," she recounted. Keren, her husband Avidor Schwartzman, and their 1-year-old son Saar, survived the attack by taking refuge in their own safe room. They were later rescued by the Israeli Defense Forces.
Keren shared the chilling final text messages she received from her mother before her demise with USA Today. "They are breaking down the safe room door. We need someone to come by the house right now," read one message. The final text from last Saturday was even more distressing, "They managed to break into the safe room."
"That was the last time anyone heard from them," Keren told CNN. She remained in the dark about her parents' fate until Thursday when she was informed of their tragic end. The only solace she found in this heartbreaking tragedy was the knowledge that her parents "apparently died instantly so at least it was quick and relatively painless."
Keren remembered her mother as a tireless advocate for Palestinian rights. "Whenever there was a military operation, (she) would always protest," Keren told CNN. "She was there protesting all the time so they wont destroy it so that people will see whats happening because you dont treat human beings like that no matter what their religious belief is and what their ethnicity is."
In a poignant tribute to her parents, she said, "They were some of the best people that I have ever known. They were good people. They cared about other people. They fought for other people's rights and other people's voices."
Login