An Israeli mother described the horrifying moment Hamas set fire to her family’s home, prompting her to wrap her daughter in a blanket and tell her, “I’m sorry, we’re going to die.”
Danielle Aloni, 44, and her 6-year-old daughter, Emilia, were at Kibbutz Nir Oz visiting her sister Sharon Aloni Cunio when Hamas launched its October 7 surprise attack on Israel.
Hamas set her family home on fire, trapping Sharon, her 3-year-old daughter Emma, Danielle and Emilia in a room that quickly filled with smoke.
At the same time, Sharon’s husband was captured along with Emma’s twin sister, Yuli.
As Sharon texts the family saying they won’t make it out alive, Danielle remembers covering Emilia with a blanket and hugging her.
Danielle Aloni describes the horrifying moment Hamas set fire to their home. via REUTERS
“I hugged him tightly and told him, ‘I’m sorry, we’re going to die,'” the mother recalled in an interview on Israeli broadcast television, according to the Times of Israel.
The sisters concluded that it would be easier, for the children’s sake, to suffer a quick death – and chose to open the window to face Hamas’ weapons rather than be burned alive.
In a voice message to her family, Danielle explained the situation, saying, “They set fire to our house, terrorists came in, they tried to shoot us. We are burning in the house. If we come out, they will shoot us.”
Danielle Aloni and her sister Sharon expected a quick death but instead were taken hostage by Hamas. Channel 12
“One way or another, we will die. That’s it, that’s it, this is the end of us,” said Danielle.
Danielle and Sharon then opened the window of their shelter and “waited for the volley.”
Instead, the group of terrorists waiting outside indicated they should get out and start walking. Eventually, they separated Sharon from the group, leaving Danielle with her daughter and niece.
Danielle described their captors as “drunk with joy” as they took the trio to Gaza.
Danielle and her daughter, Emilia, were separated from their other relatives by Hamas. Facebook/Take Them Home Now
Once in Gaza, a terrorist pulls Emma away from Danielle, who pleads with them in Arabic not to take her away.
“If I die here, then my daughter [Emilia] will also die,” he recalled thinking to himself, describing the extreme guilt of not being able to take care of his niece. “I could not protect the girl [Emma]a girl of 3 years and 3 months.”
While in custody, Danielle convinces Emilia that they are safe from the bomb underground and creates a game involving imaginary gifts to keep her spirits up.
The family was held in various apartments and underground tunnels for weeks. via REUTERS
When they were released, Emilia was given all the imaginary gifts she had chosen, Danielle said. “He got more than 49 prizes.”
Every day, Danielle prays, tries to stay strong and keep Emilia from getting depressed even though she admits she doesn’t think they’ll “see the light of day.”
“As a mother, you gather strength that you weren’t sure about before,” Danielle says. “You say to yourself, ‘I will do everything, everything for my girl to get through this trauma in the smoothest possible way.’ And then you do everything.
Danielle and Emilia were released on November 24, while Sharon and her twins were released on November 27. Qassam Military Media
The mother and daughter were finally released on November 24 after hospital treatment.
Emilia suffers from serious post-traumatic stress disorder and is terrified of sounds similar to rockets and air raid sirens. Her mother said she no longer felt safe even in their safe room because she was worried the “bad guys” would come back to take her away.
She is also now afraid of hearing foreign languages, Danielle said.
Emilia is suffering from serious post-traumatic stress disorder, her mother said. Youm7/X
When asked how she’s coping, Danielle replied, “I’m here, but my heart is there. Our family isn’t complete.”
Danielle’s sister Sharon and her 3-year-old twins, Yuli and Emma, were released on November 27, while her sister’s husband, David Cunio, remains in custody in Gaza.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
