A chilling story of an Israeli-American family is making the rounds on the internet whose kibbutz came under attack from Palestinian outfit Hamas on Saturday. They lived in the Nir Oz kibbutz, near the Gaza Strip, where eighty people were killed in Saturday’s attack. The family of six included Tamar Kedem Siman Tov; her husband, Yonatan (Johnny); her mother-in-law, Carol Simian Tov, 70; two 6-year-old daughters, Shahar and Arbel; and her son, Omer, aged 4.
As the Hamas terrorists advanced, Tamar initially sent texts to friends in Australia saying they were safe. An hour later, Johnny Tov sent a harrowing text to his sister, Ranae Butler, according to the UK’s Daily Mail, which read: “They’re here. They’re burning us. We’re suffocating.”
When you wake up to images like this, it’s difficult not to feel enraged at the senseless murder of innocents. Tamar Kedem-Siman Tov with her husband Johnny and their 6-year-old daughters Shachar and Arbel, and their 2-year-old son Omer, were gunned down on Saturday.Equally, the… pic.twitter.com/WKUJTGPm5X— Edward White (@Editorialz) October 10, 2023
Israeli media later reported that Hamas terrorists had entered the protected room and slain the entire family. Friends have been eulogising the family on Facebook. The story of the Israeli-American family is among the many horrifying tales coming out of Israel following Saturday’s assault which has escalated into a full-fledged war.
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. 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 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. Warning that the health system in the Gaza Strip “is at a breaking point”, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for an end to the fighting and the immediate establishment of a humanitarian corridor for the currently besieged enclave.