In our safe room there were another 4 adults besides myself and my two grandchildren who are small children. The dog was also there. Luckily, I had a weapon, a gun. I stayed outside the safe room and the whole time I was looking through the blinds of the house. That’s how I saw the outside and they couldn’t see me. 

Kfar Aza. Credit: Reuters, Ilan Rosenberg

I saw them [the terrorists] going house by house trying to break in. When they got to my house I was waiting with a gun. They couldn’t break down the door, so they shot to break through a glass door on the side. Luckily I had a good view of them from a protected area. When they broke through the door and came in, I shot at them, they got scared and ran out and they threw grenades inside. Thanks to my military experience, each time they threw a grenade, I was able to run and hide and then come back.

Later, they threw a burning sponge inside to try to burn down the house, or make me come out and show myself. I saw them with Kalashnikovs, looking through the kitchen windows the whole time. I did not come out to put out the fire and they waited for me to come out. Luckily, the sponge did not cause a fire in the house and they finally gave up and went away. After that I put out the sponge. 

The whole time I remained with my weapon on lookout. My family stayed in the safe room. Only the next day did they get us out. Soldiers came in jeeps and told us to leave. At first we thought that the Hamas were calling us to leave. I told myself that until they come and speak to me in clear Hebrew, I am not leaving the house. In the end, the soldiers realized that they have to come out and show themselves and then they got us out.

Yoram B.

Credit: Walla

This story was first published on october7.org.