I don't publish much, and I had a lot of doubts about posting here, but I decided to do so.
Sorry if it's a bit long, I'll recount what we went through in a structured way. Forgive me if it's a bit chaotic.
I live in Ein HaBesor with my children, one is currently serving in the Paratroopers unit. I live next to my sister, her husband, and their child.
On Saturday morning, my dog woke me up at around 6:30 a.m.
I didn't really understand what I was hearing outside, I went out and saw dark skies and heard non-stop explosions. Among the sounds, I identified different voices and suddenly realized that I was hearing the firing of a machine gun. I called my brother-in-law and told him that I was hearing gunfire.
In a second, we were at his place with our dogs amidst a siren of "Code Red".
We ran to the shelter, and after a minute, we went out. My brother-in-law and the community's emergency team fought bravely. Some of them got injured. RPGs and machine guns were fired at them. They fought with handguns against the guerrillas. They managed to close the gate of the village and repel the monsters.
"I am beginning to digest and understand the amount of friends, neighbors, and family who were murdered"
At the same time, I was in the shelter with my children and my sister's children, holding a knife and planning how I would react if they entered. It's hard to convey the feeling of fear, and at the same time projecting strength to the children.
On Sunday, we managed to evacuate the children. On Monday, I managed to leave with the dogs and arrived in Herzliya. My dear partner and his family provided me with an empty house. Friends came to clean and help. There are no words. Then, the people of Herzliya and others started to donate and help. My heart is bursting. Now, I am beginning to digest and understand the amount of friends, neighbors, and family who were murdered. Last night, I had nightmares for the first time, and it wasn't fun.
I am full of pain, anger and gratitude. Now, I am worried about my soldier. It's hard for me to say that we were victorious because we lost so much, so I pray that God will strengthen us.
Einat S.