Families in Israel are desperate for information about family members after Hamas terrorists abducted some 150 people in its attack on Israel over the past weekend.
According to The New York Times, Hamas took some 150 Israelis hostage during an invasion recently. Some 900 Israelis were killed in the violence.
Reports indicate that hostages include civilians, soldiers, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
On Monday night, the Hamas military warned that it would execute a civilian hostage every time an Israeli airstrike hits Gazans “in their homes without warning.”
Already, Hamas has said it has executed four hostages.
“I want to bring everyone home. But we cannot do that as long as the other side thinks they can get away with this,” said Eyal Hulata, who served as Israel’s national security adviser.
An Israeli mother, Ricarda Louk, told The Times of Israel that her 22-year-old daughter was abducted and recorded in a video, stripped and beaten.
“Every minute is critical, and we are asking the German government to act quickly,” she said.
She said her daughter was at a music festival near the Gaza Strip when Hamas terrorists appeared suddenly.
Israeli actor Uri Ravitz also revealed that his mother had been one of the abducted. He said he had received a photo of her.
"This is my mother with the light blue shirt,” he posted on social media. “She is 84 years old. She was kidnapped from her home in Nahal Oz by Hamas. This photo reached me an hour ago and is the first sign of life or evidence of what is happening with her after more than 24 hours.”
Ravitz said his mother was taken from her home, and Israeli officials have not contacted him.
"Up to this moment, no one has reached out to us, offered any information, or provided guidance or relief of any kind. The lawlessness in the Gaza Strip persists, even in the wake of such a calamity. Our distress remains unaddressed."
Another mother of two who was abducted told MSNC that taking her children was “against the laws of war.” Her sons are 12 and 16.
“If you were dealing with a war between two countries, countries don’t take children hostages,” said Renana Gomeh. “I’m sorry. It’s against the laws of war. It’s against humanity. It’s against anything that we all believe in.”
She also added that there is no comparison between Israel’s attacks of response and Hamas’ kidnapping.
“Well, they’re not really human beings — who came into my house, broke everything, stole everything, took my children from their bedrooms, and took them to the Gaza Strip,” she said. “Israel’s never done that, and it will never do. So, there is no symmetry.”
Photo Courtesy: ©Getty Images/Sean Gallup / Staff
Video Courtesy: ABC News via YouTube
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
