‘Terror Didn’t Break Me’

Stand for Israel  |  July 19, 2019

Seventeen years ago, a terrorist broke into an Israeli family’s home, out to murder Jews. He shot and killed the family’s mother and three children. But Arutz Sheva tells us how one boy, in the same room as his murdered siblings, was able to survive the attack by playing dead:

The terrorist arrived in the settlement of Itamar in Samaria around 9:00 p.m., on June 20, 2002, and broke through the perimeter fence. He entered one of the homes, apparently through the kitchen door, and shot the mother of the family Rachel, 40, and three of her sons: Neria, 15, Zvika, 12, and Avishai, 5.

Later on, two other children were injured: Aviah, 13, and Asael, 9, who lost his right leg which was hit by three bullets and grenade shrapnel.

The local emergency squad rushed to the scene after hearing the gunfire. They engaged the terrorist and worked to rescue the wounded children. The squad commander, Yosef Twito, 31, a father of five, was shot and killed by the terrorist who had barricaded himself inside the house.

Large IDF and Border Guard forces encircled the multi-level house and entered. The fighting lasted for about an hour, during which the fighters rescued the wounded Asael who had been hiding in a closet…