RSS
Israeli Teen Speaks of Hamas Captivity With Her Dog in Gaza
Mia Leimberg, a hostage who was abducted by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, holds her dog Bella while she and others are handed over by Hamas terrorists to members of the International Committee of the Red Cross, as part of a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel amid a temporary truce, in an unknown location in Gaza, in this screengrab taken from video released Nov. 28, 2023. Photo: Hamas Military Wing/Handout via REUTERS
Mia Leimberg emerged from nearly two months’ captivity in Gaza with Bella, her Shih Tzu, in her arms, one of the most astonishing moments of a week-long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that ended last Friday.
“When we were there we had to feed her our leftovers — yeah I’m talking about you Bella,” said Mia, 17, looking down at the small white dog in her arms. “And we had to make sure that she doesn’t run wild where we were. We had to keep her so that she doesn’t go exploring and annoy anybody there.”
Mia and her mother Gabriela were visiting family in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak when they were taken hostage by Hamas during its Oct. 7 killing spree through southern Israel, sparking the war with the Palestinian terrorist group in Gaza.
The mother, daughter, aunt, and dog were set free as part of a swap for Palestinian prisoners, but her uncle and her aunt’s partner remain in captivity.
“It was difficult. I held her [Bella] all the way there. It was an extra four kilos. And I’m just lucky enough that I managed to keep her through that whole situation and bring her back,” Mia said from her home in Jerusalem in her first media interview.
Descriptions of Hamas captivity have started to emerge with the return home of some of the Israeli hostages. Some have described ‘suffocating’ quarters, with no access to medication and dwindling food. Children have recounted being ordered always to keep quiet.
“Luckily for me Bella is unlike all the other small dogs that I personally know, she is rather quiet, unless when she is playing or mad,” she said. “If they would have seen her as a bother I think they would not have let me keep her, in all honesty.”
‘SHE WAS A HUGE HELP TO ME’
Many pets were killed or went missing during Hamas‘ rampage.
Mia’s father Moshe said they searched for Bella during the weeks of his family’s captivity. The day of their release, he was surprised to hear she came out holding the dog.
He described in more detail what his daughter went through to keep Bella. “She was worried that something would happen to the dog if she left her behind,” he said.
Mia hid the dog under her pajamas as they were loaded into a vehicle that drove out of the kibbutz.
“Then they took them to tunnels … she had the dog with her the whole time,” he said. “When they came out of the tunnel they had to climb up a ladder, that’s when the Hamas people noticed that this was not a doll, it was a living, breathing dog.”
“A bit of an argument ensued, and it was decided to let her keep the dog instead of leave it behind.”
The captives cleaned up after the dog to prevent bad smells.
“She was very determined to bring the dog back, and one of the expressions that she has now, about the dog, is ‘I love you to Gaza and back.’”
More than 100 hostages were freed in the truce that ended on Friday. Since then fighting has resumed with Israel pursuing its military offensive against Hamas in Gaza.
Mia described how captivity was a tough experience that “will take quite the while to, like, sink in.” But having Bella helped. “She was a huge help to me. She kept me busy. She was moral support.”
She said they will fight for the freedom of the other hostages, including her uncle and aunt’s partner.
“We miss them every day and it feels wrong being here without them,” she said. “As much as I am happy to be back, we’re still not done.”
The post Israeli Teen Speaks of Hamas Captivity With Her Dog in Gaza first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
PA Security Forces End Standoff with Jenin Battalion, Enter West Bank Camp
Illustrative. Palestinian demonstrators call for an end to clashes between Palestinian security forces and terrorists in Jenin, in the West Bank, Dec. 16, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta
i24 News – The Palestinian Authority on Friday reached an agreement with the jihadists of the Jenin Battalion, ending a six-week standoff in the northern West Bank terror hotbed.
The Jenin Battalion is a local jihadist militia affiliated with Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.
The PA’s engineering and civil defense crews will begin dismantling explosives planted across Jenin, Palestinian media reported.
A Palestinian security source told i24NEWS that not a single weapon has been handed over by the Jenin Battalion to PA security forces.
The post PA Security Forces End Standoff with Jenin Battalion, Enter West Bank Camp first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
With Hamas Yet to Name 3 First Hostages to Be Released, Netanyahu Slams Violation of Agreement
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, Sept. 2, 2024. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Hamas violated the terms of its agreement with Israel even before the ceasefire went into effect, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointed out on Saturday.
The jihadist group failed to submit to Israel the names of the three hostages slated to be freed on Sunday, in contravention to the terms of the ceasefire stipulating that this information be communicated 24 hours in advance.
“We will not move forward with the outline until we receive the list of hostages to be released, as agreed. Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement,” Netanyahu said some three hours after the names should have been submitted. “The sole responsibility lies with Hamas.”
The post With Hamas Yet to Name 3 First Hostages to Be Released, Netanyahu Slams Violation of Agreement first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
US Slaps Sanctions on Yemeni Bank with Ties to Houthis
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi addresses followers via a video link at the al-Shaab Mosque, formerly al-Saleh Mosque, in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
i24 News – The US on Friday imposed sanctions on a Yemen-based financial institution that Washington accused of financially supporting the Houthis, as President Joe Biden’s administration sought to further pressure the Iran-backed jihadists before Biden leaves office.
The US Treasury Department said it imposed sanctions on Yemen Kuwait Bank, accusing it of helping the Houthis exploit the Yemeni banking sector to launder money and transfer funds to allies, including fellow Iranian proxy Hezbollah.
In addition to numerous attacks on Israel’s civilian centers since November 2023, the Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships, sinking two vessels, seizing another and killing at least four seafarers. The intensity of the attacks has disrupted global shipping and prompted route changes.
The attacks have disrupted international commerce, forcing some ships to take the long route around southern Africa rather than the Suez Canal, leading to increases in insurance rates, delivery costs and time that stoked global inflation fears.
The Houthis, a fundamentally antisemitic jihadist group, seized power in Yemen in late 2014 and control most parts of the country including the capital Sanaa.
The post US Slaps Sanctions on Yemeni Bank with Ties to Houthis first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login