‘These people are like ISIS, they are savages’: British lawyer’s agony of watching Hamas terrorist videos in hope he may find his missing sister and family alive after kibbutz slaughter

US
By James

A British lawyer has described the pain of watching harrowing Hamas propaganda films as he searches for evidence that his sister and her family are alive after they were abducted from their home near Gaza in the deadly terror attack.

Ahal Besorai recounted how he spoke to Sister Yonat Or on the phone as she huddled in the shelter of her home at the Be’eri kibbutz as Palestinian gunmen shot and killed her.

But while his elderly father and his older sister were rescued hours later by the Israeli army, there was no sign of Yonat (50), her husband Dror (50) and two of their three children, Noam (15) and Alama (13). , not.

Now the 60-year-old Cambridge University-educated lawyer from London is combing through hours of hate-filled propaganda videos posted on the internet in the hope of finding evidence that his loved ones are alive.

Mr Besorai told MailOnline: ‘My sister and her family were last seen being pulled from their home by the terrorists.

Yonat Or (50), her husband Dror (50). British lawyer Ahal Besorai told how he spoke to Sister Yonat on the phone as she huddled in the shelter of her home at the Be'eri kibbutz as Palestinian gunmen shot and killed her.

Yonat Or (50), her husband Dror (50). British lawyer Ahal Besorai told how he spoke to Sister Yonat on the phone as she huddled in the shelter of her home at the Be’eri kibbutz as Palestinian gunmen shot and killed her.

Yonat holding a plant. While Mr Besorai's elderly father and his older sister were rescued hours later by the Israeli army, there was no sign of Yonat (50), her husband Dror (50) and two of their three children, Noam (15) and Alama (13 )

Yonat holding a plant. While Mr Besorai’s elderly father and his older sister were rescued hours later by the Israeli army, there was no sign of Yonat (50), her husband Dror (50) and two of their three children, Noam (15) and Alama (13 )

A photo taken on October 11, 2023 shows a destroyed house at the scene of last weekend's inflitation by Palestinian militants on Kibbutz Beeri near the border with Gaza

A photo taken on October 11, 2023 shows a destroyed house at the scene of last weekend’s inflitation by Palestinian militants on Kibbutz Beeri near the border with Gaza

“Since then I’ve been watching a lot of these horrible terrorist videos looking for them. I hope to see something that tells me they are alive. But nothing.

‘It’s perverse to say, but I hope my sister and her family are in the hands of Hamas rather than dead.

‘These people are like ISIS, barbarians, but if they are held hostage, at least they are alive. And that gives me hope.’

Disturbing videos of civilians gathering in terror, being bundled into vehicles en route to Gaza and rabid gunmen shooting and looting have been posted by Hamas and its supporters since their invasion of Israel on Saturday.

Yonat Or, her husband and two of their children. Cambridge University-educated lawyer Ahal Besorai, from London, is combing through hours of hate-filled propaganda videos posted on the internet in the hope of finding evidence that his loved ones are alive

Yonat Or, her husband and two of their children. Cambridge University-educated lawyer Ahal Besorai, from London, is combing through hours of hate-filled propaganda videos posted on the internet in the hope of finding evidence that his loved ones are alive

Yonat Or, her husband Dror and their daughter Alama, 13. Mr Besorai told MailOnline: 'My sister and her family were last seen being pulled from their home by the terrorists. Since then I have watched many of these horrific terrorist videos in search of them'

Yonat Or, her husband Dror and their daughter Alama, 13. Mr Besorai told MailOnline: ‘My sister and her family were last seen being pulled from their home by the terrorists. Since then I have watched many of these horrific terrorist videos in search of them’

Yonat Or and her husband Dror cuddle in front of the camera. Mr Besorai said: 'It's perverse to say but I hope my sister and her family are in the hands of Hamas rather than dead'

Yonat Or and her husband Dror cuddle in front of the camera. Mr Besorai said: ‘It’s perverse to say but I hope my sister and her family are in the hands of Hamas rather than dead’

Mr Besorai grew up on the Be’eri kibbutz in the Negev desert about five miles from the border with Gaza before moving to London to study law.

He said: ‘I called my sister Yonat on Saturday morning. It was around 6:30 in the morning and she said there was a barrage of rockets and that they were entering the shelter.

‘She whispered because she could hear shooting and men speaking in Arabic and shouting “Allah Akbar”.

‘She didn’t want to let them know they were home.

“I ended the call. I was worried, but I didn’t want to call back. I didn’t want her phone to ring and the terrorists to hear it.

‘So I sent WhatsApp messages but she didn’t read them.

‘I later called her husband Dror as well, but there was no answer.

‘The kibbutz is a small community. I know a lot of people there.

‘But I couldn’t get hold of anyone.

‘My father and my other sister Noat live there, but they couldn’t help them. My father is 89, he couldn’t go out. They had to stay in their shelters.

‘My father was rescued by soldiers after 13 hours. My sister Noat was rescued after 24 hours. But there was no sign of Yonat.

‘In the evening I called their eldest son Yali, who is serving in the army in the north.

‘He said he spoke to a neighbor at the kibbutz.

‘They said the terrorists set fire to the house. And a friend saw my sister and family being pulled out of the house alive.

Yonat Or and her husband Dror. Mr Besorai said: 'I called my sister Yonat on Saturday morning. It was about 6.30 in the morning and she said there was a barrage of rockets and that they were going into the shelter.' He said she was whispering because she could hear gunshots

Yonat Or and her husband Dror. Mr Besorai said: ‘I called my sister Yonat on Saturday morning. It was about 6.30 in the morning and she said there was a barrage of rockets and that they were going into the shelter.’ He said she was whispering because she could hear gunshots

Yonat Or and Alama on a boat. Mr Besorai said: 'I ended the call. I was worried, but I didn't want to call back. I didn't want her phone to ring and the terrorists to hear it'

Yonat Or and Alama on a boat. Mr Besorai said: ‘I ended the call. I was worried, but I didn’t want to call back. I didn’t want her phone to ring and the terrorists to hear it’

Dror and one of their children smile in the street. 'My father was rescued by soldiers after 13 hours. My sister Noat was rescued after 24 hours. But there was no sign of Yonat,' Mr Besorai said, referring to his other sister

Dror and one of their children smile in the street. ‘My father was rescued by soldiers after 13 hours. My sister Noat was rescued after 24 hours. But there was no sign of Yonat,’ Mr Besorai said, referring to his other sister

‘They must have broken into the shelter. They were dragged out by the terrorists, but they lived. Since then, no one has seen or heard from them.

‘Be’eri was one of the worst atrocities. There were 120 bodies pulled from my kibbutz, an indiscriminate massacre.

‘It was like a pogrom from the last century. Babies were shot and people were decapitated.

‘But when the soldiers came, they did not find Yonat and her family among the dead.

Dry smile. Mr Besorai said: 'In the evening I called their eldest son Yali who is serving in the army in the north. He said he spoke to a neighbor at the kibbutz. They said the terrorists set the house on fire. And a friend saw my sister and family being pulled out of the house alive. They must have broken into the shelter'

Dry smile. Mr Besorai said: ‘In the evening I called their eldest son Yali who is serving in the army in the north. He said he spoke to a neighbor at the kibbutz. They said the terrorists set the house on fire. And a friend saw my sister and family being pulled out of the house alive. They must have broken into the shelter’

Yonat Or, her husband Dror and two of their children on holiday

Yonat Or, her husband Dror and two of their children on holiday

Yonat Or, her husband Dror and Alama on a boat. Referring to Yonat and her family, Mr Besorai said: 'They were dragged out by the terrorists, but they lived. Since then no one has seen or heard from them'

Yonat Or, her husband Dror and Alama on a boat. Referring to Yonat and her family, Mr Besorai said: ‘They were dragged out by the terrorists, but they lived. Since then no one has seen or heard from them’

‘They are considered missing. I hope they were taken to Gaza.’

Mr Besorai, who now lives in the Philippines, told how he spent a ‘wonderful’ spring break with his sister.

He said: ‘My two sons live with their mother in London. We went to Be’eri for three weeks in April. They played with Yonat’s children. It was great.

“Now I’m doing everything I can to find them.”

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