Kibbutz Kfar Aza had 850 inhabitants until October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists killed nearly 1,200 people and took 240 hostages in the Israeli border region with the Gaza Strip. At least 61 residents of Kfar Aza were killed; Liora Eilon survived. In April of this year, at the invitation of Christians Standing with Israel and accompanied by Danielle Mor (Jewish Agency), she came to Germany to share her nightmarish experiences.
A guest post by Timo Roller
At the end of the lecture evening on April 13th, news spread through the IP Center in Maisenbach that an Iranian attack on Israel had begun; combat drones were approaching the home of Liora Eilon and Danielle Mor. The two women from Israel called their families and were deeply worried. More than six months after the horrific Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, it is all still not over for Israelis. Is something even worse about to happen?
Until that day, Liora Eilon lived in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, near the Gaza Strip. She and some of her family spent 36 hours in their kibbutz's bomb shelter while the Hamas terrorist attack raged around them. Such shelters are essential within range of rockets fired by terrorist organizations in Israel's immediate neighborhood. At 6:50 a.m. on October 7—a public holiday—news came that terrorists had infiltrated the kibbutz. Residents were instructed to seek shelter in their bomb shelters and hold onto the door handles; these shelters cannot be locked, as they were originally intended only for protection against rockets.
Around 10:30 a.m., glass shattered, and Liora and the four other bunker occupants heard Arabic shouts. Shots were fired for a long time. Then, finally, Israeli soldiers – temporarily – gained the upper hand and set up a makeshift hospital in the house. Rescuing those trapped inside was still out of the question, as the situation in the kibbutz was far from under control.
Many became heroes
Liora's 15-year-old granddaughter Gali explained the situation in the village to the special forces, showed them the accommodations of other asylum seekers on Google Maps and forwarded messages from the kibbutz WhatsApp group, even later when the soldiers left Liora's house.
Throughout the day, further dangerous situations arose: A hand grenade was thrown at the steel-reinforced window but failed to detonate. The front door withstood gunfire from the Hamas attackers, but later the electricity went out, plunging the shelter into darkness. Eventually, soldiers returned to the house, and the residents were able to quickly use the toilet. There was blood everywhere in the rooms. Since the five residents were relatively safe, the soldiers left the house once more to assist others.
It wasn't until the next day, around 2 p.m., that granddaughter Gali received the long-awaited phone call: the family would now be evacuated! But terrorists had apparently barricaded themselves inside the house, and the escape took place under cover of fire, with soldiers forming a cordon. Once Liora and her family were safe in a vehicle, a tank turned its cannon on the house, destroying it along with any remaining terrorists.
After 36 hours, the residents of the house were finally rescued. Liora's son, Tal, however, had lost his life. He died a hero, as his mother emphasized. The commander of the Kfar Aza civil defense unit was wounded during the onslaught of the overwhelming enemy terrorists. By issuing appropriate instructions, including to the leaders of the neighboring kibbutz, he may have saved the lives of many Israelis. He then succumbed to his injuries.
The truth about a forced war
71-year-old Liora Eilon has lost much: her son, her house, her homeland. The survivors of Kfar Aza have been housed elsewhere for over six months. Israel is a land of the displaced and evacuees, explained Danielle Mor, who provided some background information. An open wound remains between Israelis as long as there are still hostages in the Gaza Strip. Experiencing spring in the Black Forest is a stark contrast to the mood in Israel, where no one knows what the future holds. With a touch of melancholy, she confessed: "I feel like shouting at this blossoming nature: Stop!"
Liora Eilon and Danielle Mor see it as their mission to report what happened. At the invitation of Christians Standing with Israel, who organized this event together with the aid organization Zedakah, the two women have come to Germany and will give further talks in the Netherlands and meet with friends of Israel. The more than 170 people present and the approximately 300 livestream participants were called upon to share Liora Eilon's testimony of survival and to spread the truth about the war that was forced upon Israel.
The evening concluded with a prayer based on Isaiah 61, offering words of comfort: that God would free the captives and console the grieving. After the moving evening and the news of the attack on Israel, many of those present likely went home with the intention of praying for Israel. The next morning, the drones and missiles from Iran had been successfully repelled – by the Israeli military and with the support of its allies. And certainly, in the feelings of those praying for Israel, with God's help.
