'She's a strong lady': Family of abducted 85-year-old Israeli plead for her release
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The family of the bespectacled grey-haired woman, later identified as 85-year-old Yafa Adar, recognised her instantly.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LUZIT, Israel – Soon after Hamas gunmen invaded Israel's villages,
One shows an elderly woman, with a defiant expression on her face, driven on a golf cart into the Palestinian enclave.
The family of the bespectacled grey-haired woman, wrapped in a pink blanket and later identified as 85-year-old Yafa Adar, recognised her instantly.
"At 9am she texted us that there were terrorists on the roads of the kibbutz shooting, shouting. That's the last message we got from her and then we lost contact," said her granddaughter Adva Adar. A kibbutz is a type of collective settlement that is unique to Israel.
"I have other family (members) that live in the kibbutz, so we heard from them the horrible things that were happening, that people were getting killed and kidnapped and houses were getting broken and burnt to ash."
In the evening, after soldiers cleared the Nir Oz kibbutz from gunmen, Madam Yaffa's house was found ransacked. One of her grandsons, who is in the kibbutz's volunteer response team, is still missing after confronting the Hamas gunmen.
At least 700 Israelis have been killed in Hamas' shock attack last Saturday that has stunned Israel. Scores are missing, including children, many believed to be held by the group inside Gaza. Relatives have seen their loved ones in some videos already.
Ms Adva welled up as she looked at footage of her grandmother being carted through Gaza. In one video, she appears to be surrounded by two armed men and a driver. In another, there is a man next to her in the backseat, and the driver is laughing.
"I can't even start to understand how people think it makes sense to kidnap an 85-year-old lady, kidnap babies, kidnap kids," said Ms Adva. "It's not human".
Qatari mediators have held urgent calls to try to negotiate freedom for Israeli women and children seized in exchange for the release of 36 Palestinian women and children from Israel's prisons, a source briefed on the talks told Reuters.
But an Israeli official said no negotiations were underway as aircraft continued to bombard Gaza in retaliation.
Explosions could be heard in Luzit, Ms Adva's village, about 32km away.
Ms Adva said her grandma was one of the founders of her kibbutz, and has lived through all Israel's wars. In the videos she appears to be holding her head up high, even smiling some of the time.
"She's a strong lady. And you can see there, she's sitting trying to show them, she's not afraid and she's not hurt. And if they will take her, they will take her with her pride," said Ms Adva.
She is concerned that her grandmother's health will deteriorate rapidly without the medication she needs.
"I have a hope that they will understand that these people have done nothing wrong," Ms Adva said of the hostages. "I hope they treat them okay. Please bring them back home for us. They have done nothing wrong". REUTERS
