Key takeaways:
- Five family members of an American woman living in Israel were taken hostage by Hamas during their recent attacks.
- The American woman and her family are in a state of limbo, not knowing when or if their loved ones will be released.
- The incident highlights the devastating effects of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
An American woman living in Israel has spoken out about the experience of having five of her family members taken hostage by Hamas during their recent attacks on the country. The five family members, Ofer Kalderon, 50, Sahar Kalderon, 16, Noya Dan, 13, Erez Kalderon, 12 and Carmela Dan, 80, lived in Nir Oz, a kibbutz in the area.
Carmela Dan has lived on the same kibbutz for 60 years, finding tranquillity in a community of several hundred people who shared meals in lush green gardens. On Saturday, she hid in a safe room with her three grandchildren and son-in-law, Ofer Kalderon, while militants threw smoke grenades into homes trying to lure residents out.
Abbey Onn, a cousin of Carmela Dan, said that she was in her Israel home, north of Tel Aviv, when she and other family members got messages from relatives in southern Israel. Onn had been keeping tabs on the family via a WhatsApp chat when she suddenly stopped hearing from Dan and others after Israeli officials warned residents to stop using their cellphones.
The American woman, who has not been identified, told CBS News that the moment she and her family realized their loved ones were missing was “heartbreaking”. She said that she and her family are now in a state of limbo, not knowing when or if their loved ones will be released.
The incident highlights the devastating effects of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and the fear and uncertainty that it has caused for many families in the region. The American woman and her family are now hoping for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and for the safe return of their loved ones.
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