Juliana Nahmias, a kindergarten teacher of Greek origin who has been living and working in Israel for the last decades, spoke about the dramatic hours experienced by the residents of the Eastern Mediterranean country since yesterday.
Mrs. Nahmias spoke about her anxiety as her three children were drafted into the military after Hamas attacked Israel on Saturday.
“I speak as a mother, an Israeli citizen for 29 years. My anxiety is with my three children, who have been enlisted since last night, the two boys and one daughter. All three have joined the army. They are not in the war zone. I can't say exactly where they are, but they are deployed," she told MEGA TV.
"It was a surprise since yesterday morning at 06:30 – 07:00. Unfortunately, we have been living a nightmare since that moment. I only see the numbers of dead, missing and hostages constantly rising. Unfortunately for the military as well, several bases have been covered by soldiers," Nahmias added.
"I am worried about my children, and I am worried about all the soldiers who have taken them, the hostages. It's war. I can't describe it in any other words," she stressed, expressing her strong concern.
The death toll from the massive assault launched by Hamas on Israeli communities near Gaza and thousands of rockets fired into Israel is over 600, officials estimate. Among the dead are dozens of soldiers and police who were killed battling the terrorists.
The Health Ministry also confirms that the number of wounded in hospitals has reached 2,048, including 20 in critical condition and 330 seriously wounded.
The security cabinet approved on Saturday evening Prime Minister Netanyahu to take military action that could lead to war. This decision, reflecting Netanyahu's public statements, will allow him to authorize significant military operations in the Gaza Strip.
The declaration will be brought to the approval of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday, and subsequently, the prime minister will be required to announce the decision before the Knesset plenary.
On Monday, the committee will also retrospectively approve the government's decision to call up reservists and declare a state of emergency.
The Homefront Command issued guidelines on Sunday, effective from 15:00 until 18:00 on Tuesday, under which classes will be held across the country for the next two days. This directive was issued following an assessment of the situation by the Education Ministry and a joint decision with the Homefront Command.
"In light of the dimensions of the disaster and the security complexity, there will be no classes and educational activities in the coming two days in all educational institutions throughout the country, including special education institutions," Education Minister Yoav Kisch announced.
The current expectation is a gradual return to classes starting from the upcoming Wednesday, subject to the situation assessment.
More than 30 hours since the start of the war, shooting in the south persists, with terrorist infiltrators still in a number of communities. Hamas' military spokesperson said that the militant group has "replenished their forces" inside Israeli territory and has aided soldiers fighting in the field. He added that Hamas activists are still fighting inside Israel.
Earlier, the militant group claimed it managed to successfully infiltrate Israeli territory overnight and into Sunday morning, "strengthening [Hamas] forces operating in the field with supplies," in a few areas – including in a number of kibbutz localities and in the villages of Sufa, Holit and Yated.
Also on Sunday, an Egyptian policeman opened fire on Israeli tourists in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, killing at least two Israelis and one Egyptian, according to Egypt's Interior Ministry.
Israel's Foreign Ministry later confirmed the report about the attack, adding that it's working with Egyptian officials in order to make sure the group of Israelis can return safely.
Israel additionally asked Egypt to help mediate a negotiation to secure the release of Israelis who are currently being held captive by Hamas infiltrators, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
It remains unclear exactly how many Israelis were abducted or taken hostage by Palestinian militants. Egyptian officials and a top Hamas official reportedly informed The Wall Street Journal that a number of Hamas militants who were holding hostages are uncontactable, and that civilians were also taking people captive, making it difficult to count the exact number of Israelis being held.
Unconfirmed news reports indicate that foreign nationals may allegedly be among those taken hostage. According to a Sky News report, Jake Marlowe – a British citizen who was attending a music festival in Israel's south – has been unreachable since Hamas infiltrators attacked the event, the United Kingdom's Embassy to Israel said.
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