New Delhi: Yifat Zailer is living a nightmare. Five days ago, she lost contact with her family members who live in Kibbutz Nir Oz, a town near the Gaza border that was raided by Hamas militants. She fears they are being held hostage in the Gaza Strip, where they face torture and death. Zailer says she was texting with her cousin Shiri Bibas, who had given birth to a baby boy nine months ago, on Saturday morning when the attack happened. They were sharing photos and jokes, as they usually did, when suddenly the messages stopped. Zailer tried to call her uncle Yossi Silberman and her aunt Margit, who lived in the same kibbutz, but there was no answer.
She later learned that Hamas fighters had infiltrated the town through a tunnel and killed several Israeli soldiers and civilians. They also kidnapped six people, including Zailer’s relatives. Zailer says she saw the footage of the kibbutz on TV and recognized her family’s apartment. It was empty.
Zailer is desperate to get her family back. She says they are innocent people who have nothing to do with the conflict. She worries about their health and safety, especially the children. Her nephew Kfir is only nine months old and needs his formula. Her other nephew Ariel is three years old and must be terrified. Her aunt Margit has Parkinson’s disease and needs medication.
Zailer says she cannot sleep or eat. She cries all the time and prays for a miracle. She says she wants to go back to Friday, when everything was normal and her family was happy. She says she cannot bear the thought of them being in the hands of “those fanatic maniacs”.
Zailer says her uncle Yossi is an amazing painter and her aunt Margit is a kindergarten teacher who has raised generations of children in the kibbutz. She says her cousin Shiri followed her aunt’s footsteps and studied education. She says they are kind, lovely and beautiful people who deserve to live.
Zailer appeals to the world to help her family. She says time is running out and she does not know how long they can survive. She says she wants them back, alive and well. She says they are her life and she loves them more than anything.
