What pure evil looks like’: American recounts horrifying capture of relatives by Hamas
LeElle Slifer explains how she found out her family in Israel was abducted from a video posted by Hamas. She still does not know if some of them are alive.
An American whose family members are believed to have been killed or taken hostage by Hamas recounted their horrifying experience and encouraged others to share pictures and videos of the brutal attacks.
"There is no nuance in this situation. This is evil," LeElle Slifer told Fox News Digital.
Israel declared war on Hamas after the terror group launched a wide-scale attack on the Jewish state last weekend. Hamas has killed more than 1,300 Israeli civilians, and Israel's retaliatory strikes have killed more than 1,500 Palestinians, officials from both parties said Friday. Hamas is believed to have taken up to 150 hostages.
Slifer said she spotted her mother’s cousin, Kinneret, in a video of hostages with Hamas terrorists. Two days later, she said she saw another video which she believes shows Kinneret’s lifeless body. Kinneret’s body has still not been found.
"I am so thankful that we live in an age where we can quickly disseminate the truth because there is no arguing with pictures and videos," she added. "And unless people look at these things and see what pure evil looks like, we’ll never be able to stop it."
Slifer realized her family had been taken hostage after seeing a video online of her cousin Kinneret tied up. Two days later she saw another video showing Kinneret's dead body. (Courtesy of LeElle Slifer)
AMERICAN IN ISRAEL SAYS HAMAS ABDUCTING HER FAMILY IS A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH
Kinneret’s family, including her son Alon, daughter-in-law Yarden, granddaughter Gefen and daughter Carmel were visiting for the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah when they awoke on Saturday morning to sirens.
The family initially texted loved ones from their kibbutz bordering Gaza, but after a few hours no one heard from them.
"The terrorists had come in one by one and taken everyone out of the house," Slifer said. "They put Alon and Yarden into a car with four terrorists."
Slifer said when the terrorists stopped at one point to investigate a tank, the couple decided to make a run for it.
Slifer said she does not know if her family members Yarden and Carmel are still alive after they were abducted by Hamas. (Courtesy of LeElle Slifer)
"Alon’s hands were tied and he knew that if they went to Gaza it could be the end, so he told Yarden, ‘We have to do something,’" Slifer said.
"Yarden was holding her daughter Gefen and when she couldn’t hold her anymore, she passed her off to Alon," Slifer added. "The terrorists started chasing after them and shooting."
Slifer said Yarden split from her husband and daughter to find a different hiding spot.
"Alon and Gefen hid for 24 hours in a field — a 3-year-old little girl," Slifer said. "Thank God they were safe and they made it back to the kibbutz to tell us what had happened."
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Alon went back several times to search for Yarden’s body but has still not found it, according to Slifer. Carmel is also missing.
"I have nothing but hope," Slifer said. "I will keep hoping for their safe return."
Slifer said she cannot stop searching the internet for more signs of life of her family members.
"I'm sitting in the safety of my own home and watching this video, that juxtaposition of life and death is incredibly disorienting," she said. "I have to see these things, and I have to see these images."
With a potential ground invasion of Gaza looming, Slifer said she trusts Israel.
"Israel cares for innocent people, no matter whether they are Palestinian or Jewish," she said. "They don't want to hurt anyone and so I have to believe that they are doing everything possible to bring their people home unharmed and to cause as little harm as possible to any innocent civilians and that they know what they're doing."
Slifer added that she is concerned about Hamas using civilians to manipulate the world.
"They want to show these bodies to the world and they use them as human shields," she said. "It worries me greatly."