A disturbing video has emerged that captures the horrifying moment when a mother and her two young sons are dragged screaming from their home near the Gaza border by Hamas terrorists before disappearing with them in a truck. Shiri Silberman-Bibas, 30, and her two young sons were kidnapped by Hamas fighters on Saturday.
Shiri and her husband Yarden, along with their nine-month-old son Kfir and three-year-old son Ariel, sought refuge in a safe room as militants invaded Israel on Saturday. Armed with only a small pistol, Yarden bravely aimed to defend his family and their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz as the villages came under a surprise attack by Hamas.
Snatched in Front of Their Father
This harrowing incident unfolded during a horrifying assault, resulting in the loss of hundreds of Israelis and the abduction of over 100 individuals. In a short clip circulating online, Shiri appeared wide-eyed and frightened, clutching her two young, red-haired children -- a three-year-old and a nine-month-old -- tightly to her chest.
The harrowing video depicted the distressing moment when Hamas terrorists were ordering her around.
The family had sought refuge in the safe room of their home when armed fighters forcefully entered their house. As the gunmen fired automatic weapons outside their windows, Shiri was huddled in the room with her husband, Yarden, and their two young boys, Kfir and Ariel, as reported by the New York Times.
Yarden, 36, armed with a small pistol during their ordeal, managed to send text messages to family members, detailing the horrifying experience they were enduring during the attack.
"I love you all," Yarden texted as they sheltered, with militants firing semi-automatic weapons outside their window, according to reports. Half an hour later, he ominously wrote "they're coming in," before communication ceased.
The family has remained unaccounted for since the incident. In a deeply distressing turn of events, Shiri's parents, Yosi and Margit Silberman, both in their late 60s, are also missing and feared to have been abducted.
A video surfaced later that shows the anguished mother clutching her two children as they are forcibly taken away, with no sign of their father. The onlookers witnessing this horrifying scene are heard screaming in shock and concern, particularly noting the presence of a baby.
"I just hope that they are alive, and that they are together. And I want them home, with me, so I can hug them tightly again," the couple's niece Yifat Zeiler told the publication through tears.
She called the situation a "catastrophe."
Rampant Kidnappings and Executions
The social media footage showing Shiri sobbing as she and her children are forcibly taken away by militants has evoked deep anguish within the global Jewish community. The heart-wrenching images of the terrified mother and the poignant pictures of her innocent sons during happier times have become symbolic representations for demonstrators worldwide, illustrating the harrowing reality of the terror imposed on Israel by Hamas.
The young family is among the suspected 150 Israelis, including women, children, and the elderly, who have been kidnapped by Hamas and taken into Gaza. An additional 900 Israelis have been killed at the hands of Hamas, as confirmed by government officials.
The plight of the kidnapped Israelis is grave, with the Hamas military wing issuing a menacing threat on Monday. They declared their intention to execute one prisoner for every Israeli airstrike that targets innocent civilians, heightening concerns for the safety and well-being of the hostages.
"We have decided to put an end to this and as of now, we declare that any targeting of our people in their homes without prior warning will be regrettably faced with the execution of one the hostages of civilians we are holding,' Abu Obaida, spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a recording released to Al Jazeera.
Obaida stated that Hamas, in accordance with Islamic instructions, has aimed to ensure the safety of Israeli captives. He attributed this decision to Israel's escalated bombings and killings of civilians within their homes, highlighting the airstrikes conducted without prior warning.
The retaliatory actions by Hamas are contextualized within their perspective of defending their own people amidst the ongoing conflict and seeking to address what they view as disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians by Israel.
It is not clear where the Hamas terrorists are hiding the hundreds they ruthlessly abducted. Despite Gaza being a small, closely monitored area surrounded by the Israel Defense Force, it remains challenging for Israeli intelligence agencies to gain a clear understanding.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to exact "mighty vengeance" against Hamas following their surprise assault.
The intense Israeli airstrikes have resulted in the loss of 687 Palestinian lives, including children, according to Gaza health authorities. The strikes have also left hundreds of thousands of people without homes.
