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Israel resident describes moments leading up to kidnapping of family members by Hamas
Gaya Kalderon discusses life in Israel and communications she had with her family members before they were taken by Hamas.
An Israeli couple claims to have survived what could have been a deadly hostage situation by treating Hamas insurgents as guests.
David and Rachel Edry, residents of Ofakim, told Israeli news outlets they were taken hostage in their own home by heavily-armed combatants Saturday.
“I hosted them as best I could. I joked around with them. I played a game with them, in which they taught me a word in Arabic, and I taught them one in Hebrew,” Rachel Edry told news outlet Walla.
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Israeli soldiers take position at the southern Israeli town of Ofakim. Hamas militants stormed over the border fence. (AP Photo/Ilan Assayag)
“I did it all to stay alive. I needed to stall until the cavalry came to the rescue,” she added.
Hamas-aligned insurgents entered the Edrys’ home Saturday evening and occupied the building for 15 hours, according to The Times of Israel.
The couple, parents to two police officers who took part in the raid rescuing them, were held captive by terrorists at gunpoint and under threat of an unpinned grenade.
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Rachel Edry told the media she survived the ordeal by making jokes, bonding with the terrorists and using every excuse she had to move around the house in a way that would help authorities see her location.
Rachel Edry reportedly offered the terrorists cookies and sang a Hebrew-language song by Israeli singer Lior Narkis until security forces finally breached the home and killed the terrorists.
Neighbors flocked to the house following the ordeal, finding two police officers and all five terrorists had been killed, according to The Times of Israel.
Israel soldiers secure an area where Hamas militants stormed over the border fence in Ofakim Saturday, reportedly killing hundreds of Israelis in surrounding communities. (AP Photo/Ilan Assayag)
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Residents ritually cleaned up the blood of the police officers who lost their lives in the raid with the assistance of Jewish religious leaders.
“It was a miracle, and it’s uplifting because it shows God is watching over us and that with his help we have the wits and humanity to best our enemies’ bestial brutality even when our backs are against the wall,” said Daniel Mualem, the 33-year-old neighbor of the Edrys.
Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and can email him at [email protected]