Roni Esehel is a 19-year-old Israeli teenage girl. She is my niece. On Saturday morning, October 7, the army base where she was serving was savagely attacked by Hamas. Since then, Roni has been missing.
Like hundreds of other parents in Israel, Roni’s parents in constant agony: Where are you, Roni? How are you, Roni? And there’s no answer. Nothing.
Roni is a loving and loved child. As the first granddaughter in the family, she has a special place in all of our hearts.
Like most teens her age, she is full of life and loves to joke around with the family. Her laugh is contagious. Roni loves her younger siblings—a brother and sister that she took care of. Really, she took care of all of us.
Roni has a special place in her heart for animals. Roni and her mother Sharon rescue abandoned dogs and cats that they find on the streets. Now our Roni is abandoned. Who is taking care of her?
Roni is a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). She enlisted one year ago and was based in an army camp on the Gaza border.
On Saturday morning, her world and all of our worlds changed. Hundreds of blood-thirsty Hamas terrorists infiltrated the base. At around 9:30 a.m. Roni sent a text message to her mother, "Mom, I am okay, I am busy, I love you." And since then, not a word.
The Hamas terrorists slaughtered everyone in sight. ISIS style. They massacred female soldiers sleeping in their beds. At that time, Roni was at the communication center, a secure area that the terrorists were not able to enter. So they burned it. There were a few soldiers with Roni. Some escaped. Others were taken hostage by Hamas and transported to Gaza. Several are confirmed dead and the rest are missing. Roni is among the missing.
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Roni’s mother and father are living every parent’s worst nightmare. Where is my child? How much pain is she in? How scared is she? Not being able to protect her and living with the fear of what is happening to her is excruciating. Roni’s grandparents can’t stop crying. Her younger brother and sister keep asking if she will ever come home. My family understands that the options we face are not good.
This is my family’s personal story. There are hundreds like us. Hundreds of Ronis.
The world needs to realize that what happened on Saturday was genocide. Nothing less. Crimes against humanity in their worst form. Children beheaded in their own homes. Families burned alive. Hundreds of young people celebrating at a music festival rounded up in an open field and slaughtered. Scores of bodies were mutilated, such that they cannot be recognized.
The Hamas terrorist organization has one purpose only. To kill Jews, wherever, whenever, whoever. One-year olds and ninety year-olds. Females. Families. Hamas is no different than ISIS or Al Qaeda. And all sponsored and directed by Iran.
The people of Israel are strong. Our collective spirit is high. We will win the war on terror for us and fo all the civilized world.
This is the time to stand with Israel against the axis of evil. This is the time to firmly safeguard the values and morals that light our shared path, unconditionally and unequivocally!
Elad Levy is Roni Esehel’s uncle. He lives in Hod Hasharon, Israel.
