An Israeli couple was killed in their home during the weekend’s deadly Hamas attacks by land, air, and sea. Though Itay and Hadar Berdichevsky died while fighting to protect their home, they heroically managed to save their 10-month-old twin babies by hiding them in a hidden shelter.
The young couple, both in their 30s, only had a few seconds to react when they heard the gunmen trying to smash down their front door, the Israeli mission to France revealed in a post on X. The parents bundled their babies into a hidden shelter moments before the Hamas stormed into their home.
Itay and Hadar fought the intruders until the last moment before being killed during the assault on Israel, which has left more than 1,300 Israelis dead. Thankfully, the couple’s twins were saved by emergency services nearly 14 hours after their death. “All our thoughts are with the loved ones of this broken family. Israel will honour their memory and do what is necessary to neutralise the terrorist threat and protect its citizens,” the Israeli embassy wrote on X.
Itaï et Hadar Berdichevsky avaient 30 ans, deux enfants.Ils ont caché leurs jumeaux de 10 mois dans un abri pendant que les terroristes ont forcé l’entrée de leur maison à Kfar Gaza.
Ils se sont battus jusqu’au dernier moment, avant de se faire massacrer par les terroristes… pic.twitter.com/DDsAa3FEFA
— Ambassade d’Israël en France (@IsraelenFrance) October 10, 2023
The story of Itay and Hadar is only one of many stories emerging from Israel after Saturday’s large-scale assault which has escalated tensions in the Middle East region. The Israeli military is reportedly prepared for a possible ground invasion in Gaza amid continuing airstrikes on the tiny coastal strip in retaliation for the unprecedented weekend attack on Israel by the militant group Hamas.
A US official confirmed that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin plans to visit on Friday, a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a deliberate show of support to its ally.
Meanwhile, Gaza, which is currently under siege could face a shortage of food, fuel, and medicine. The densely populated territory’s only power plant shut down for lack of fuel. According to The Associated Press, the morgue at Gaza’s biggest hospital overflowed Thursday as bodies came in faster than relatives could claim them.
Israel said that a complete siege would remain in place until Hamas freed 150 hostages taken during its incursion. Egypt has engaged in intensive talks with Israel and the US to allow the delivery of aid and fuel through its Rafah crossing point, which remained closed on both sides Thursday.
(With agency inputs)