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'We Could Hear the Sound of Gunfire and People Screaming': Recounting Hamas' Hostage Horror
'We Could Hear the Sound of Gunfire and People Screaming': Recounting Hamas' Hostage Horror
Sputnik International
More than 200 people were kidnapped during the brazen Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7. Currently, only four hostages have been released. Sputnik reached out to the families and friends of those who still remain in Hamas captivity.
2023-10-25T16:58+0000
2023-10-25T16:58+0000
2023-10-25T16:59+0000
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In the early morning of October 7, some people were chilling at the Supernova music festival near kibbutzim Re’im and Be’eri, while the others were sleeping soundly in their beds inside their homes near the Gaza border. That frightful early morning, Hamas breached the Israeli border from the Gaza Strip, attacking these people, abducting 222 and killing hundreds.Avinatan Or and Noa Argamani: Snatched Away Into CaptivityAvinatan Or, 29, and his partner, Noa Argamani, who is 26, were enjoying themselves at the Supernova music festival when it was attacked by Hamas militants. In the early stages of the tragic event, before losing contact, both Avinatan and Noa managed to send text messages to their families and friends, informing them of the situation. "We were concerned and tried calling them, but their phones were unreachable," said Dani Maimon, a close friend of the couple, in an interview with Sputnik. Later, a video capturing the moment when Hamas radicals kidnapped civilians at the music festival began circulating online. Avinatan and Noa's relatives and friends were able to identify them in the footage.Dani Maimon said she started spreading information about a couple taken captive from the first minutes the tragedy erupted.Moshe, Avinatan's brother, assumed from a video that the couple had to walk several kilometers to Gaza from kibbutz Re'im where they were taken hostages, Dani added.Eden Yerushalmi: Took Refuge in Car Packed With Corpses Before Abducted by Hamas24-year-old Eden Yerushalmi came to Supernova festival from Tel Aviv. Before being captured by Hamas fighters, she managed to keep in touch with her loved ones via phone calls for 4 hours.Eden's elder sister Shani Yerushalmi remembers that horrifying morning in precise detail.Shani maintains the government and the army failed to properly handle the situation on Gaza border.Shani contends that Hamas must release all the hostages they had taken, if the movement claims to be a non-terrorist entity.The Tragic Losses of Once Big FamilyBig Dan-Calderon family lived in two kibbutzes near the Gaza border - Nir Oz and Kissufim. Early in the morning of October 7 Hamas attacked both of them. Five members of the Dan-Calderon family from kibbutz Nir Oz fell Hamas' victims: 12-year-old Erez, his 16-year-old sister Sahar and their 50-year-old father Ofer were kidnapped by Hamas, while 12-year-old Noya Dan with autism, and her 80-year-old grandmother Carmela Dan were killed.Speaking to Sputnik Noam Calderon-Dan, a father of murdered Noya Dan, described the occured tragedy nothing but 'inferno'.The family supposed that all of the 5 family members were captured by Hamas. But three days later the bodies of Carmela and Noya were identified. The man added:As far as all the family members have both Israeli and French citizenship, Noam and his relatives were invited to a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to Israel on October 23.“When French President Macron arrived in Israel, the first thing he did was meeting with the families of the kidnapped and murdered French citizens. Our family, Calderon-Dan, also has French citizenship. The President assured us the tragedy touched his heart. Macron also promised that he would personally ensure that the French citizens abducted by Hamas would be returned safe and sound,” he pointed out.
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'We Could Hear the Sound of Gunfire and People Screaming': Recounting Hamas' Hostage Horror
16:58 GMT 25.10.2023 (Updated: 16:59 GMT 25.10.2023) More than 200 people were kidnapped during the brazen Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7. Currently, only four hostages have been released. Sputnik reached out to the families and friends of those who still remain in Hamas captivity.
In the early morning of October 7, some people were chilling at the Supernova music festival near kibbutzim Re’im and Be’eri, while the others were sleeping soundly in their beds inside their homes near the Gaza border. That frightful early morning, Hamas breached the Israeli border from the Gaza Strip, attacking these people, abducting 222 and killing hundreds.
Avinatan Or and Noa Argamani: Snatched Away Into Captivity
Avinatan Or, 29, and his partner, Noa Argamani, who is 26, were enjoying themselves at the Supernova music festival when it was attacked by Hamas militants.
In the early stages of the tragic event, before losing contact, both Avinatan and Noa managed to send text messages to their families and friends, informing them of the situation.
"We were concerned and tried calling them, but their phones were unreachable," said Dani Maimon, a close friend of the couple, in an interview with Sputnik.
Later, a video capturing the moment when Hamas radicals kidnapped civilians at the music festival began circulating online. Avinatan and Noa's relatives and friends were able to identify them in the footage.
Dani Maimon said she started spreading information about a couple taken captive from the first minutes the tragedy erupted.
“Moshe Or reported the absence of his brother Avinatan and his partner Noa. Then it became clear to him that a video had been released of the two being taken to the Gaza Strip by terrorists who had captured them. In another video, Noa is seen slowly drinking water, apparently [filmed at] the place where she was taken [to],” Dani explained.
Moshe, Avinatan's brother, assumed from a video that the couple had to walk several kilometers to Gaza from kibbutz Re'im where they were taken hostages, Dani added.
"All of our friends are still working diligently to push the government into action! Incredibly, Avinatam and Noa managed to contact to us while they were in hiding. They informed us that the terrorists had begun shooting at everyone," Dani said.
Eden Yerushalmi: Took Refuge in Car Packed With Corpses Before Abducted by Hamas
24-year-old Eden Yerushalmi came to Supernova festival from Tel Aviv. Before being captured by Hamas fighters, she managed to keep in touch with her loved ones via phone calls for 4 hours.
Eden's elder sister Shani Yerushalmi remembers that horrifying morning in precise detail.
“On Saturday, October 7th, at approximately 7:20 a.m., Eden called both me and our mom. She frantically screamed that they were being shot at. In the background, we could hear the sound of gunfire and people screaming. Filled with panic, we urged Eden to run away and attempted to assist her over the phone. Initially, she took refuge in a car, where she discovered two corpses. Over the course of the next four hours, we maintained communication with Eden. She spent roughly an hour and a half hiding in the vehicle before seeking shelter in the bushes. Moments before Hamas discovered her whereabouts, we spoke briefly. She managed to alert us that she had been captured,” she told Sputnik.
Shani maintains the government and the army failed to properly handle the situation on Gaza border.
“Unfortunately, the state and the army took a considerable amount of time to react. We talked with her for four hours, anxiously listening to the sound of gunshots in the background. Both my mother and I speculated that a confrontation was occurring between our army and the terrorists due to the frequency of the gunfire. No military personnel arrived during that time. Some individuals spent hours hiding in the bushes until help finally arrived. Regrettably, Eden's ordeal lasted only four hours before she was abducted. The authorities offered no more than an official notification regarding her abduction.”
Shani contends that Hamas must release all the hostages they had taken, if the movement claims to be a non-terrorist entity.
“I am aware that there are individuals who support the Palestinians and condemn Israel. However, I firmly believe that Israel has the right to protect itself from terrorist threats. Hamas claims to not be a terrorist organization, denying involvement in any acts of terrorism. Yet, what kind of organization kidnaps innocent children, women, and neighbors? If they are truly not terrorists, then they should prove it by releasing all those they have kidnapped. It’s a matter of simple logic that no one should support terrorism, regardless of their feelings towards Israel. Supporting Hamas means endorsing terrorism.”
The Tragic Losses of Once Big Family
Big Dan-Calderon family lived in two kibbutzes near the Gaza border - Nir Oz and Kissufim. Early in the morning of October 7 Hamas attacked both of them. Five members of the Dan-Calderon family from kibbutz Nir Oz fell Hamas' victims: 12-year-old Erez, his 16-year-old sister Sahar and their 50-year-old father Ofer were kidnapped by Hamas, while 12-year-old Noya Dan with autism, and her 80-year-old grandmother Carmela Dan were killed.
Speaking to Sputnik Noam Calderon-Dan, a father of murdered Noya Dan, described the occured tragedy nothing but 'inferno'.
“Me, my wife Galit live and our Noya lived in Kissufim. Almost [in] the next kibbutz, Nir Oz, lived my wife’s sister Hadas and her family, and their mom Carmela. That weekend our Noya was spending time at her grandma’s Carmela house. When the entire inferno happened, we had to go to our security room, there was no connection. At the end of 10 hours of struggle, Hadas discovered that 5 members of our family had been kidnapped from Nir Oz”.
The family supposed that all of the 5 family members were captured by Hamas. But three days later the bodies of Carmela and Noya were identified. The man added:
“It turned out that elderly woman that needed anti-dementia as well as heart treatment and girl with autism were brutally murdered. Ofer, Sahar and Erez are kidnapped. We are grieving and at the same time struggling to return the abductees home.”
As far as all the family members have both Israeli and French citizenship, Noam and his relatives were invited to a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to Israel on October 23.
“When French President Macron arrived in Israel, the first thing he did was meeting with the families of the kidnapped and murdered French citizens. Our family, Calderon-Dan, also has French citizenship. The President assured us the tragedy touched his heart. Macron also promised that he would personally ensure that the French citizens abducted by Hamas would be returned safe and sound,” he pointed out.
