Shalom from Jerusalem,

As war rages on Israel’s borders and the country mourns the 1,400 innocent civilians brutally murdered by Hamas on October 7^th, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have evacuated their homes. Hope for Israel’s Operation Restoration has helped dozens of these families to reach safety at hotels throughout Israel and continues to provide for them during their stay.

Many of these families come from communities which were attacked by terrorists on October 7^th or from areas where they were forced to run to a municipal bomb shelter many times each day. Those who have evacuated have left behind all stability, income, their children’s schooling and more, and they have no way of knowing how long it will be before they can return home. This is why Operation Restoration, which provides security for these families, is so important.

This is the story of one family from a village attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7^th, who described their experience as a horror movie come true.

D’ and I’, like many Israelis, don’t have a private bomb shelter, so when the heard the air raid siren going off on the morning of October 7^th, they ran across the street to a building with a shelter. Siren after siren was followed by explosions overhead, the sound of Israel’s Iron Dome neutralizing Hamas rockets.

After one siren, as they stood talking with their neighbors, D’s mother suddenly heard gunshots. As they listened, the shots came again. The residents scattered, understanding that terrorists had infiltrated their village. I’ began to have an anxiety attack. When the family got home, D’ quickly emptied a clothes closet and they hid their children inside before moving to the window to watch as terrorists came down the street, shooting anyone they saw and yelling in Arabic. The children remained in the closet for nearly 24 hours, with no food. When they wanted to cry, their parents, scared for their lives, forced them to be quiet. As a result of the fear and stress, one of the children began to throw up.

Many Israelis were killed, both civilians and, later on, security forces. Battles were fought in the streets of the village among the homes. Although Israeli forces retook the village, for D’ and I’s family, and for hundreds of other families like them, the battle has only begun. Weeks after the attack, D’s children are afraid even to go to the bathroom without their father.

D’ and I’s family is now staying at a hotel in a quiet part of Israel, thanks to Operation Restoration. D’ shared his story to say thank you to Hope for Israel for helping his family to find a quiet place to rest and recover from their ordeal. Thank you for supporting Operation Restoration; when you do so, you are supporting families like this one.

Thank you for entrusting your offering to Hope for Israel. Your partnership means a great deal to me, my team, and the many people who are blessed by the ministry’s work. May we continue to be a light and a blessing to the people of Israel during a dark and difficult time!