TEL AVIV-YAFO, Israel — The photos and videos of Yaffa Adar, 85, being driven to Gaza on her mobility scooter by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7 were seen all over the world.
Her granddaughter Orian says that she was supposed to visit Yaffa in Kibbutz Nir Oz that fateful morning.
“We woke up on Saturday morning. We were supposed to go to my grandmother, and a little before 9:00 [she] wrote to us that there are terrorists in the kibbutz and that there’s fighting going on in the streets,” I wrote back to her, ‘God forbid! Please stay safe,’ she said.
“I know she read that message, because it shows two blue ticks—but further messages she didn’t read. That afternoon, when the army finally arrived, they went from house to house. When they got to my grandmother’s house, they found it totally destroyed—and my grandma was not there,” she recalled.
“My cousin Tamir left in the morning to try to protect his home and never came back. We don’t know what happened to him—he has two little kids,” she added.
“That same night, when I finally put my kids to bed, I allowed myself to feel and cry. My husband tried to cheer me up and showed me the video that the whole country has seen—that’s the toughest moment I had during this whole time,” she narrated.
“It was easier to think my grandma is dead, that she’s not with us, that she parted from life as calmly as possible, rather than (knowing) whatever she’s going through now,” she continued.
In addition to the dangers shared by all the hostages captured by Hamas on Oct. 7, Yaffa is also at risk due to her advanced age.
“She’s a lucid and sharp woman, and understands anything that’s going on. Still, like any other 85-year-old woman, her body is not the same it used to be. If she’s still with us–we don’t know if she can still survive these days without her medication,” said Orian.
However, the family remains hopeful.
“My daughter, Ofir, had a birthday on Tuesday and she’s still waiting for grandma Yaffa’s present, because she knows grandma Yaffa’s present is always the best gift,” she said.
“We have so many casualties in this country, so many, and my heart agonizes for each of them. We have people we know that are still alive not far from us, and if we don’t do something swiftly, but really swiftly, we will find bodies, we will find more dead people,” she said.
“Bring my grandma back home now!” she exclaimed.
Two-year-old ‘tried to follow daddy’
When Hamas terrorists took over Kibbutz Nahal Oz on Oct. 7, Lishay Lavi tried to make sure her family was safe. She took her daughters, Alma, 7, and Roni, 2, to the bomb shelter, then turned to her husband, Omri.
“I looked into Omri’s eyes and told him I loved him, I’d be waiting for him, that I’d take care of our daughters and that he should not be a hero. He told me he loved me,” she explained.
“They came in through the bathroom window. I was holding Alma. Omri stood by the door holding a knife. About five (terrorists) came in, and asked Omri to stand up. That was the only time my Roni just broke down. When she saw him leave, she just screamed, ‘Nishi wants daddy. My daddy, my daddy, I want my daddy,’ she narrated.
“I held her back, because she tried to follow him. And then she fell asleep in my arms… and woke up, no longer two years old,” she added.
‘Nobody kidnaps a 72-year-old woman’
Eyal Nouri lost both his uncle and aunt on Oct. 7—but in two very different ways. His uncle Said Moshe was murdered by Hamas terrorists in Nir Oz, while his aunt Adina was kidnapped.
“They believed in living side by side with Palestinians. They were against war,” said Nouri.
“Nobody kidnaps a 72-year-old woman. This is against humanity; against anything a person can believe. I’m calling to everybody who can listen, who can hear me: Please release Adina!” he asserted.
‘She was calling to say goodbye’
Karina Ariev is only 19. She was serving in the Israel Defense Forces unit watching the Gaza border on Oct. 7. Hamas terrorists took over her base, killing some of the soldiers and kidnapping others.
“Her name is Karina, and she really radiates light [a wordplay in Hebrew] light. When she smiles, she has this dimple here. You simply see the light,” said Sasha, Karina’s sister.
The last time Sasha heard from her sister was 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 7.
“I instantly realized something was wrong. I realized she was calling to say goodbye. I don’t wish anybody to ever know what that feels like,” she said.
“Around noon we saw a video. My mother saw it on her phone and said, ‘Isn’t that Karina?’ It is! It’s her!’ We recognized her,” she added.
“My parents are shattered. Their hearts are split in two–one half for me, and the other for my sister. Right now, one half is missing. We don’t know where it is,” she continued.
“Bring my little sister, Karina, back home,” she demanded.
Produced in association with Jewish News Syndicate
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