The family of an 85-year-old grandmother abducted by Hamas terrorists have begged for her release, saying they are unsure how long she can survive without her medication.
Yaffa Adar was taken hostage from her home in Israel and transported into Gaza on a golf cart after gunmen broke into Israeli territories in a shock incursion over the weekend.
“We’re shocked, it hurts in every inch of our bodies,” granddaughter Adva Adar said. “We’re very scared for her, she’s ill, and of course she doesn’t have her medicine with her.”
Yaffa Adar was taken hostage by Hamas militants and is believed to be in Gaza— (AP)
“We don’t even know how long she can survive without her medicine,” Ms Adar told Sky News. “What we do know is that without her medicine she’s in a lot of pain,” she added. Her family last heard from Ms Adar on Saturday evening, when she messaged to say she could hear fighting in the streets.
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“We saw the videos showing men with guns taking her to Gaza, I cannot even start to imagine how scared she is,” her granddaughter continued. They later found that her house had been burned to the ground, and she was among the captives taken across the border by the militants.
Describing her grandmother as a “very positive, very funny woman”, she said: “The situation might be hard, but there’s no reason in the world that elderly women and kids and babies get kidnapped.
“There’s no reason, and bring them back home. Whatever you do, just bring them back home.”
Her family have begged for her release after watching the video of her being abducted in a golf cart— (AP)
Around 100 people have been taken hostage by the militants since their attack on Saturday morning, with British and American citizens among those missing.
After Israel declared a “complete siege” of Gaza, cutting off their water, food and power supplies, Hamas threatened to start killing Israeli civilian hostages if the bombing of civilian areas continued without prior warning.
Abu Obaida, spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, the IQB, said: “We have decided to put an end to this and as of now, we declare that any targeting of our people in their homes without prior warning will be regrettably faced with the execution of one the hostages of civilians we are holding.”
In response to the attack, Israel has launched air strikes from the air and sea, with Palestinian authorities reporting more than 700 deaths in both Gaza and the West Bank.
Palestinians slavage household items from damaged apartments following Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City— (AFP via Getty Images)
Israel has said around 900 civilians and soldiers have been killed, with 260 bodies retrieved from a music festival ambushed by gunmen.
Social media footage showed partygoers fleeing the rave, with one woman captured and taken away by two men on a motorbike.
According to Hamas, some Israeli hostages and their captors have been killed in airstrikes since the weekend though this has not been confirmed.
