Hamas terrorists invaded my brother's home. Now, my family is held hostage in Gaza.
Before Oct. 7, my brother, his girlfriend and his kids were just parts of my greater identity and what I love and hold dear in this world. Now, as I live through a waking nightmare in which they have been taken hostage by Hamas − this part of my identity consumes me. And it's what drives and will drive my every action and thought, until my family comes home.
My heart is heavy with sorrow, anger and, most of all, a profound sense of helplessness after an act so horrific and brutal that we never could have imagined it.
Hell began for us when my wife and I called my brother, Yair Yaakov, during the first round of missile attacks the morning of Oct. 7, to check in on him; his girlfriend, Meirav Tal; and my two nephews, who are 16 and 12. They live in Nir Oz, a kibbutz in southern Israel, near the Gaza border.
My brother reassured my wife that they were in their shelter/safe room. His two sons were staying at their mother’s house, and my brother, no matter how much he may have wished he could race to the rest of his family and bring them all together to protect them, couldn’t leave the safe room in his house at the kibbutz.
We survived the Hamas attack on Israel. What haunts us now is the blockade of Gaza.
My brother heard Hamas terrorists firing guns outside
They were strictly instructed to stay in place, and they heard gunshots outside the house. Everyone was frozen as they faced the approaching fear and horror of Hamas terrorists closing in.
About a half hour later, Meirav sent us an audio message on WhatsApp. Her voice was shaking as she told us that terrorists had entered their home. Yair held the shelter’s door to keep the attackers out. But in the end, he did not prevail. This was the last time we had contact with them.
Our family was thrown into darkness. We searched every minute of that day for any sign of them. We tried using Apple’s “Find my iPhone” feature to no avail. We fought fear and panic all day to remain focused on locating our family.
Later that afternoon, the mother of my nephews shared with us through tears that she had confirmation that her two sons had been kidnapped. Our world collapsed around us.
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For nearly 30 agonizing hours, we had no idea where any of them were. We reached out to every level of every authority we could, asking for help in finding Yair, Meirav and my nephews. The silence that returned became overwhelming as we learned that we were going to face this nightmare primarily on our own. We turned to social media, sharing pictures and heartfelt pleas, hoping someone in our connected web would come forward with information.
Hamas released video of the abduction
Then we learned the fate of my family when a friend of Yair shared a video showing that Hamas had taken them hostage. It showed the terrifying moments of Yair and Meirav's abduction after Hamas terrorists threw grenades to break the safe room’s door.
This wasn't just a crime; it was an inversion of humanity. Innocent people, including children and women, were forcibly taken from their homes where they should feel safe and torn away from their lives, their families and their communities. They are now pawns in a war.
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The days since have been dark with just one glimmer of light. Yair's oldest daughter and her boyfriend, who were staying in yet another house in the kibbutz, managed to keep their shelter secure and were eventually rescued by the Israel Defense Forces.
As a family, we appeal to the world for one thing: the safe return of our loved ones. We were brought up to believe that everyone has a family and deserves to be treated humanely. Hamas operates in stark contrast to these principles.
Our only plea is to bring our kidnapped family members back home safely. We don’t know if they are being fed. We don’t know the state of their health. We don’t know where they are. The uncertainty about their fate is what our lives are defined by now, and we are desperate for the day that we can receive good news about their well-being.
Until then, I am a brother and an uncle who refuses to give up.
Yaniv Yaakov works in information technology in Israel.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hamas holds my family hostage in Gaza. I refuse to give up hope
