IT’S NOW DAYS INTO THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR…
AND FAMILIES OF HOSTAGES ARE WAITING FOR WORD –
ON THEIR LOVED ONES.
HAMAS TERRORISTS LAUNCHED A BRUTAL, SURPRISE ATTACK AGAINST ISRAEL SATURDAY – KILLING MORE THAN 900 ISRAELIS… AND KIDNAPPING MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE… INCLUDING WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
ISRAEL’S MINISTER FOR STRATEGIC AFFAIRS -RON DERMER- CONFIRMS –
AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE AMONG THE HOSTAGES…
AND HAMAS LEADERS WARN – THEY WILL KILL HOSTAGES – ON LIVE TV –
EVERY TIME ISRAEL HITS GAZA CIVILIANS BY AIRSTRIKE “WITHOUT WARNING” – ACCORDING TO NBC NEWS.
SEVERAL ISRAELI-AMERICAN FAMILIES OF THOSE MISSING – BELIEVED TO BE IN CAPTIVITY
CAME FORWARD IN A PRESS CONFERENCE FROM TEL-AVIV MONDAY –
BEGGING FOR THE U-S GOVERNMENT TO HELP BRING HOME THEIR LOVED ONES.
“THE TIMES OF ISRAEL” REPORTS THAT A SENIOR GOVERNMENT SOURCE TELLS THEIR REPORTERS – ISRAEL WILL CONTINUE CARRYING OUT ATTACKS IN GAZA – EVEN AT THE COST OF HARMING ISRAELIS BEING HELD CAPTIVE.
RUBY CHEN’S SON IS 19-YEAR-OLD ITAY (EE-TIE) CHEN –
HE GREW UP IN LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK AND HOLDS DUAL-CITIZENSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL.
ITAY IS A MEMBER OF ISRAELI’S ARMED CORPS AND WAS SERVING ON THE BORDER OF GAZA SATURDAY WHEN IT’S BELIEVED HAMAS TERRORISTS KIDNAPPED HIM.
HIS FATHER SAYS – THE FAMILY LAST HEARD FROM ITAY SATURDAY MORNING.
(RUBY CHEN / Says son was abducted by Hamas)
“we want to be back; we want to go back to become family. we want this to end as soon as possible. hopefully with your help, the people here will help us amplify this message to the u-s government, secretary of state, that until now have been saying all the right things, but we do, at least i, on behalf of my family, I’m asking the us not to take a backseat. the us has a lot of resources at its attention. it is able to do many things that can be different than what the israeli government can do. and we are asking on behalf of my family for president biden, when we are sure his heart is in the right place when it comes to israel and secretary of state to do what they can to make this end for us as soon as possible til we become family.”
CHEN ISN’T THE ONLY ONE WAITING IN AGONY TO HEAR NEWS ABOUT FAMILY.
ABBY ONN IS AN AMERICAN AND HER FAMILY HAS BEEN LIVING IN ISRAEL FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.
SHE APPEARED ON FOX NEWS – SAYING SHE’S HEARTBROKEN…
AS SEVERAL OF HER FAMILY MEMBERS WERE TAKEN BY HAMAS…
THE YOUNGEST IS A 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL… SEEN ON VIDEO BEING DRAGGED BY HAMAS TERRORISTS.
(Abbey Onn / Says her family members were abducted by Hamas)
“it is inconceivable that this is happening in this day and this time in Israel, and I think that as an American who is here, my cousin Carmela is an American, these are her children and this is her son-in-law, and I feel proud to be both American and Israeli, and I just want people to understand this is not political. These are humans, these are people’s grandparents and children and husbands and wives.”
ISRAELI OFFICIALS SAY THEY WILL NOT NEGOTIATE WITH HAMAS TO RESCUE THE HOSTAGES.
JOHN KIRBY – THE COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL – APPEARED ON PBS SAYING BIDEN WANTS ALL AMERICANS TO COME HOME SAFE – THE U-S HAS NOT RULED OUT A COMMANDO MISSION TO GO INTO GAZA AND RESCUE AMERICAN HOSTAGES.
(John Kirby / coordinator for strategic communications at the national security council)
“I will just — I will let Israel speak for itself. I can tell you that there’s no higher priority for President Biden than the safety and security of Americans overseas. We have acted and will continue to act in the interest of making sure that Americans who are held hostage or wrongfully detained overseas get home with their families. But we don’t usually talk publicly about how we go about doing that. And I don’t think I want to break precedent here today.”
AS HAMAS THREATENS TO EXECUTE HOSTAGES –
ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER -BENJAMIN NETANYAHU- ORDERS AIRSTRIKES TO HIT HIT GAZA…
WHICH HAVE KILLED AT LEAST 830 PEOPLE – ACCORDING TO THE PALESTINIAN HEALTH MINISTRY.