SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A Carmel Valley family is grieving the loss of a family member, killed during the Hamas attacks in Israel.
Surveillance video from a home shows a person dressed in black, one of dozens of Hamas militants that descended on the kibbutz, Nir Yitzhak, a few miles south of Gaza.
“We know the terrorists entered from the main gate of our kibbutz,” said Ayelet Schori.
Schori says the first to greet the threat, was the First Responder Squad, an armed neighborhood watch of sorts, including her brother-in-law Yaron Shahar.
“After about an hour after, my brother-in-law was shot and killed alongside another member of that squad,” said Schori.
The 51-year-old Shahar was a father of 3.
“It’s devastating, and I still don’t think we’re comprehending what happened,” said Schori.
As the Hamas attack was unfolding, the homes of Schori and her husband's loved ones became under siege.
Her mother-in-law texted them that she heard someone trying to open her locked front door. She was inside a safe room, which had no lock.
“She was holding the handle. She was there by herself. We were here terrified that we would never see our families again,” said Schori.
Schori says her mother-in-law, knowing her life was in danger, sent more messages.
“She started telling us she loves us. We started telling her that we love her,” said Schori.
Schori says the militants didn't try forcing open the door, and moved on, with the Israeli forces arriving soon after.
Photos show the carnage in the kibbutz.
“It's heartbreaking,” said Schori.
Along with several deaths, countless homes set on fire and vandalized.
In her kibbutz, at least 7 are missing and believed kidnapped.
Schori’s family has been evacuated to another kibbutz to the northeast.
Schori hopes to return to Israel for her brother-in-law’s funeral, but it's unknown when it will be held.
She says the main power source for the kibbutz, a generator, was burned.
A Gofundme campaign has been started to help her kibbutz rebuild.
