‘My whole life has frozen, that day changed us forever’: British-Israeli tells how her family has been ripped apart by Hamas after terrorists snatched her brother and mother and murdered another of her siblings

The family of British-Israeli Ayelet Svalitzky, murdered, kidnapped and tortured by terrorists, has been torn apart by Hamas.

They then tormented her by sending her photos of her elderly mother and brother on Facebook with the caption of one word: Hamas.

Later, Ayelet, 46, who lives on a kibbutz in northern Israel, discovered that the armed group had killed her older brother Roi, 54.

Today marks one month since the kidnapping of Ayelet’s brother Nadav Popplewell, 51, and her mother Channah Peri, 79, on what Israelis now call “Black Saturday.”

Both require regular medication for diabetes, which makes Ayelet sick and concerned about their health.

Looking back at her wedding photos from twenty years ago, she tries to remember her family in happier times. Ayelet took MailOnline to the spot where that photo was taken, but now stood alone and reflected on what she has lost – and what more she could lose.

Ayelet looks back on her wedding photo from twenty years ago to remember better times

Photos of her terrified mother Channah Peri, 79, were sent to her, along with a message that read: ‘Hamas’

‘That photo shows my wedding day; twenty years ago it was the happiest day of my life. Now everyone is gone. My whole family. There’s no one left. There’s none of my family left.’

She continued, “But now it’s just me. My father passed away 18 years ago. I have my husband’s side and my children’s side, but on my side there is not one person left. There is no one left in that photo. ‘

The Popplewell family are originally from Wakefield in West Yorkshire, but have lived in Israel for many years.

Ayelet added: “I stood there surrounded by friends and family. Today was an empty wedding venue, just me and no one else. It’s not reality. How can this be my reality?

‘My life was split in two on October 7, a month ago. The first night my entire family went missing, the next day they found my oldest brother’s body and I spent that time trying to identify his body.

“My DNA, his DNA, looking for X-rays, dental records, things you never have to deal with. And on the other hand, my mother and other brother have been kidnapped and I am trying to find the voice to raise awareness.”

‘They didn’t see the Red Cross, nothing. My mother uses insulin every day and my brother also has diabetes. There is no news, evidence of life, we don’t know in what condition they are being held. Nothing. We have expectations from the Red Cross, it is the minimum requirement that they are seen, so much is unknown, it is sickening, constantly worrying, everyday actions are drenched in guilt.”

The Popplewell brothers were among about 20 Britons, including children, feared dead or captured after the Hamas attack.

Today marks one month since the kidnapping of Ayelet’s (pictured) brother Nadav Popplewell, 51, and her mother Channah Peri, 79, on what Israelis now call ‘Black Saturday’.

Their homes in Kibbutz Nirim, a mile from Gaza, were stormed by armed maniacs.

They stormed into Ms Svatitzky’s mother’s home and arrested Nadav Popplewell, 51, who lives next door.

They then took the photos and cruelly sent them to contacts in the old lady’s phone, including Ms. Svatitzky’s 13-year-old daughter.

Ayelet added: “When I go to bed, does my mother have a bed? If I eat, will they have food? Are they being fed?’

‘I had to temporarily bury my brother alone in my kibbutz in the north, I had to spend the Jewish week of mourning, all alone, without my side of the family. I even felt guilty sitting on a chair while my poor mother was probably in a tunnel.

“I couldn’t even properly mourn my brother because all I could think was, ‘You just wasted an hour, you could have used that time to fight for your mother and brother.’

‘I didn’t ask about his cause of death. I just didn’t want to know because it would have hindered my concentration and my mission is to fight for my mother and other brother. ‘

The Popplewell family are originally from Wakefield in West Yorkshire, but have lived in Israel for many years. In the photo: Ayelet Svalitzky

‘I tell myself I’m doing what I can, but it’s such helplessness, it’s out of control. The fact that they are not healthy people and that the Red Cross hasn’t even seen them… where the hell is the Red Cross? Where is the UN? Where is everyone?’

That morning, Ayelet’s husband alerted her to the news that something was happening at the Gaza border, where she grew up. She immediately called her mother and told her to go to the safe room and lock herself. Channah said there was no lock, “then I heard men with Arabic accents speaking to her in English. ‘

‘Then I hung up and realized that the infiltrators had got her, so I called my brother Nadav, who lives next door, and told him to lock himself in the safe room and not let anyone in, because I didn’t know what. happened to moms, but I didn’t tell him because I didn’t want him to panic.

“The next moment I heard the same voices talking to him, so I hung up the phone and called everyone I knew in the kibbutz – we have a volunteer security group, they were already fighting.”

A few minutes later, Channah’s phone sent Ayelet two photos, of her mother in her nightgown and her brother barefoot in her living room, with Hamas written underneath in English: “My mother is still wearing her nightgown.” They then uploaded a photo to her Facebook story because she is 79 and doesn’t know how to do that. They were photos taken by a third party and in one photo there is a terrorist in the corner with a Kalashnikov. ‘

“I thought they were dead, this was about 8:15 am. Rumors of hostages started going around around noon, so I figured they had been dead for four hours. The next day the army confirmed this. I don’t know if it’s better to be dead or kidnapped. What’s the better option?

‘My whole life was frozen, that day changed us forever. I can’t believe it’s already been a month, and there’s no sign of life from them. Where is the red cross?’