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‘It was utter chaos’: Families and survivors describe the horrors of Hamas’ invasion
(JTA) — Yoni Asher’s voice was steady but his urgency was unmistakable.
“I ask anyone coming to Efrat Katz’s home to tell me they are there, I have not heard from them for four hours,” he said on Israel’s government-run Kan radio.
“Them” for Asher was his mother-in-law, Efrat Katz, and his wife and his two daughters, aged 3 and 5, whom he did not name. The last time he spoke to Katz, who lives in Nir Oz, a kibbutz near the Gaza border, she described seeing Palestinian terrorists lead away her husband, who is 79.
Since then, nothing. Asher said he logged onto his laptop to track his wife’s cell phone. He saw it pop up in Khan Yunis, a thickly populated town in Gaza’s south.
“I fear that she has been kidnapped,” he said and asked the anchorman if he could recite his own phone number so he could get information. Of course, the anchorman said, and Asher recited the number. “Again, slowly,” the anchorman said.
Such calls interrupted the flow of news on Israel’s radio stations as families across the country sought information about loved ones near the Gaza border, where Hamas launched a surprise attack Saturday morning unprecedented in its scope and deadly impact. The phrase “It’s chaos” was heard repeatedly, from newsreaders, from families and occasionally from people caught in the raids, whispering desperately into their phones.
Hamas fired thousands of rockets and sent infiltrators across the border starting at 7 a.m. on Saturday, the Jewish sabbath and the holiday of Simchat Torah, a time when religious Jews celebrate the reading of the Torah and the secular join family for barbecues, picnics and partying.
The attackers killed more than 100 Israelis and wounded close to a thousand, and the casualties were not yet fully counted. They invaded, at least temporarily, of at least 14 villages and towns near the border.
Israel radio said “scores” of people were being held hostage by terrorists, although there was no official tally. Some were spirited back to the Gaza Strip. In some cases Hamas terrorists had barricaded themselves inside homes in Israel and were holding people hostage.
The radio quoted eyewitness accounts of the horror of about 1,000 youths who were meeting for a nature party at Kibbutz Re’im. They scrambled as they were hit by incoming fire and then saw they were surrounded by armed terrorists who opened fire indiscriminately and tossed grenades into tents.
Some of the youths made it to their cars, only to be followed by the terrorists; one group of youths reported getting out of their car on the highway before seeing it totaled by an incoming missile moments later.
It was not clear yet how many people were killed at Kibbutz Re’im and how many were missing.
“People woke up to the sound of explosions and guns near our tents, it was utter chaos, people were not completely aware because of what they had consumed” the night before, one survivor said on Israel radio.
“Some people got away [in their vehicles] others fled into the orchards, some people climbed into trees to avoid the gun fire,” said the survivor. “A group of 50 people were knocked to the ground by shock grenades and then they opened fire on them. I think 12 survived.”
He described watching Hamas terrorists dragging bodies away.
Israeli security forces search from Hamas Militants in the southern Israeli city of Sderot, Oct. 7, 2023. (Jamal Awad/Flash90)
Israeli reservists turned up for duty, some of them well beyond the age Israel asks its soldiers to volunteer. Among them is former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who is 51.
Officials told civilians in the south entering their sealed rooms to make sure the steel doors were securely shut. The Kan broadcaster reached one woman inside a sealed room who tried to describe her situation but stopped to gasp when she heard a noise. She then hung up.
Others told of relatives waiting for nine hours to be rescued. A relative described a family caught in a sealed room on the edge of Kefar Aza who could hear terrorists inside their house. One man said he had spoken with his uncle in a border village — a terrorist had tossed a grenade inside the house, and his uncle returned fire, killing the terrorist. The family retreated into a sealed room and were awaiting rescue; a small girl sustained a head injury from the grenade attack.
An Israel radio reporter described an interview he had with a wounded man at Soroka Hospital near Beersheba. He was traveling with his wife and child when he saw a group of about 15 riders on motorbikes, whom he assumed were enthusiasts on an outing. They pulled alongside him and opened fire and his wife died immediately. He fled the vehicle, clutching his child.
One woman wept as she asked for information about her daughter, Roni Gonen, and her friend, Gaya Halifa, who were attending the party at Kibbutz Re’im. The last time she heard from her she could tell she was in a car. There were male voices speaking Arabic.
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American Jewish Tourists Attacked and Robbed in Venice, Authorities Investigate Possible Hate Crime
An Italian flag on display in Rome. Photo: Reuters/Guglielmo Mangiapane.
An American Jewish couple visiting Venice was violently attacked and robbed by three unidentified suspects, prompting authorities to investigate if the crime was fueled by religious hatred or a random act of violence.
According to initial Italian reports, the two Orthodox Jewish tourists were sprayed with water while one of the attackers used a dog on a leash to intimidate them. As they were distracted, another assailant grabbed their cell phones, and they fled the scene.
This latest incident near the Rialto Bridge, one of the busiest areas in the city, was reported by the local Jewish community and is now under investigation by Italian police.
Authorities say it is unclear whether the attack was motivated by antisemitism, robbery, or another reason, especially since the victims, who do not speak Italian, returned to the US without filing a formal complaint, according to Italian media reports.
State police are now trying to contact the two victims to get their account of the incident, while reviewing nearby surveillance footage to clarify the circumstances of the attack and identify the three suspects, who remain at large.
Even without a formal complaint, if the incident is determined to be a robbery or an antisemitic attack, authorities can pursue the case ex officio, and the investigation will continue regardless of the victims’ involvement.
The incident comes amid a surge in antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment across Europe and around the world since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
In Italy, Jewish individuals have been facing a surge in hostility and targeted attacks, including vandalism of murals and businesses, as well as physical assaults. Community leaders warn that such incidents are becoming more frequent amid growing tensions related to the war in Gaza.
Last month, a Jewish man from France and his child were verbally assaulted at a gas station near Milan by a group of pro-Palestinian supporters who shouted antisemitic slurs after seeing the child wearing a kippah, yelling phrases such as “Free Palestine” and “murderers” as they passed by.
In a separate incident, a masked individual targeted a synagogue in Rome, spray-painting a swastika and antisemitic slogans — “Sieg Heil” (“Hail Victory”) and “Juden Raus” (“Jews Out”) — on a sign near the entrance.
In May, a restaurant in Naples forced an Israeli family to leave, telling them, “Zionists are not welcome here.”
Earlier this year, a homeless Egyptian man in Rome attacked a Jewish boy and injured a shopkeeper who tried to intervene. In a separate incident, anti-Israel protesters defaced a synagogue with graffiti reading “Justice for a Free Gaza.”
Last year, a hotel manager in Rome canceled an Israeli couple’s reservation just one day before their trip, accusing them of genocide and telling them the hotel would “be happy to grant free cancellation.”
“We inform you that the Israeli people as those responsible for genocide are not welcome customers in our structure,” the hotel manager told the Israeli couple.
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JetBlue Kosher Meal Incident Sparks Outrage Amid Rising Antisemitic Incidents on Airlines
A kosher meal served on a JetBlue flight was defaced with the slur “Zionazi,” sparking widespread outrage and prompting an ongoing investigation. Photo: Screenshot
A Jewish passenger aboard a JetBlue flight was reportedly served a kosher meal labeled with the slur “Zionazi,” sparking widespread outrage as the latest in a wave of recent antisemitic incidents across multiple airlines.
The incident was first reported by the US-based group StopAntisemitism, which published an image of the defaced meal on social media.
“Whoever is responsible for this must be immediately fired,” the statement read. “This is 1941 and Jews will NOT put up with this hate.”
StopAntisemitism is sickened to see a @JetBlue passenger receive his kosher meal with “zionazi” written on it.
Whomever is responsible for this must be immediately fired – this is 1941 and Jews will NOT put up with this hate. pic.twitter.com/HNr0hVrhgD
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) August 8, 2025
In a press release, JetBlue confirmed it has launched an ongoing investigation to determine which flight was involved, emphasizing that no complaints or reports have been filed by customers so far.
“We have zero tolerance for hate, bias, or discrimination,” the statement read. “If we determine that any individual associated with JetBlue or our catering partners was involved, we will take swift and appropriate action.”
This latest incident came after a similar report days earlier on an Iberia Airlines flight from Buenos Aires to Madrid, where a Jewish passenger found “Free Palestine” written on their kosher meal tray, prompting the Spanish airline to launch an investigation.
“Iberia is conducting a comprehensive investigation, involving both its internal teams and external catering suppliers, to fully understand the incident and implement all necessary corrective actions,” the airline told The Algemeiner.
“We unequivocally condemn all forms of discrimination, hate speech, and any behavior that violates the dignity of individuals,” the statement said. “These actions are completely unacceptable and contradict the core values of respect and inclusion that define our company’s identity.”
In a separate incident, Spanish airline Vueling faced backlash after forcibly removing a group of French Jewish teenagers from a flight from Valencia to Paris, allegedly for singing in Hebrew.
The forced removal of the group has triggered political outrage in France, after their group leader was handcuffed by Spanish police and a government minister insulted the teens as “Israeli brats.”
The Spanish low-cost airline denied the allegations, insisting the incident was not related to religion but rather that the group was removed because of its members’ “highly combative attitude that was putting the safety of the flight at risk.”
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‘This Is Outrageous’: Netanyahu Repeats Threat to Sue NYT for Defamation Over Skeletal Child Photo
The New York Times newspaper. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday repeated his interest in filing a lawsuit against The New York Times, following the newspaper’s misleading use of a photo depicting an emaciated Palestinian child in Gaza.
In a press conference, Netanyahu noted the historical pattern of Jewish demonization before mass violence, including through Medieval blood libels which crescendoed with the Holocaust.
“Today the Jewish state is being maligned in a similar way,” Netanyahu said. “And the international press has bought hook, line, and sinker Hamas statistics, Hamas claims, Hamas forgeries, and Hamas photographs. For example, these three children.” He pointed to a screen which featured images of tiny, skeletal bodies, allegedly the result of an Israel-enabled famine in pursuit of a genocide against the Palestinian people.
Netanyahu identified the first one as Osama Al-Rakab and said, “He is in Italy getting treatment because Israel got him out. That’s what he looks like today. He has a genetic disease that damages the lung and digestive system and makes it hard to absorb nutrients and gain weight. So Israel facilitated Osama’s travel to Italy where he got the medical aid that transformed his position.”
Continuing explaining the stories behind the photographs, Netanyahu named the second child featured, Abdul Qader al-Fayoumi, and said, “He suffers from a genetic neurological disorder, spinal muscular atrophy, a degenerative condition that causes muscle wasting, weakness, and severe weight loss. Unrelated to nutrition, this was the real cause of his frail appearance, not starvation. In fact, he was treated in Israel in 2018, but it doesn’t help because it’s a congenital disease and it defies most treatment.”
Gesturing to the screen again toward a logo of The New York Times, Netanyahu said, “The third one is the most celebrated one. This is a New York Times cover photo on the front page of Mohammed Zakaria Ayoub and his mother.”
The image appeared in the July 30 article “Young, Old and Sick Starve to Death in Gaza: ‘There Is Nothing.’” After the initial story went viral, The Times had to add an editors’ note revealing that the 18-month-old boy maintained pre-existing health issues that contributed to his current condition.
The prime minister explained that the child “is suffering from a genetic illness you’re familiar with. It’s called cerebral palsy. His mother is well-fed and his brother is healthy.”
Netanyahu walked back to the podium and said, “I’m looking right now into the possibility of a governmental suit against the New York Times because this is outrageous.” He held up his fingers to indicate a tiny square and added, “Of course a correction was postage size, I don’t know where it was buried. But this is outrageous; these are the three most celebrated photos, and they’re all fake.”
Israel’s prime minister then returned to his introductory point about medieval blood libels, saying, “It’s the kind of malignant lies that were leveled at the Jewish people in the Middle Ages, and we won’t suffer, we won’t allow it to go unchallenged, and this is the purpose of this press conference. I hope you will open your eyes to a simple fact: Hamas lies.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is looking to sue the New York Times for spreading ‘malignant lies’ about the starvation of Gazan civilians. pic.twitter.com/lnl7L5oGkr
— Adam Milstein (@AdamMilstein) August 10, 2025
Netanyahu had previously declared his support for filing a lawsuit against the New York Times in a Thursday interview with Bill Hemmer on Fox News.
“I’m actually looking at whether a country can sue The New York Times,” Netanyahu said. “And I’m looking into it right now, because I think it’s such a … it’s such clear defamation.”
Referencing Ayoub, Netanyahu told Hemmer that the image was “supposed to then represent all these supposedly starving children” but that “they put in this picture of a child who has cerebral palsy.”
In a statement to Fox News, a spokesperson for the Times pushed back against Netanyahu’s threats of a lawsuit, saying, “Children in Gaza are malnourished and starving, as New York Times reporters and others have documented. Mr. Netanyahu is referring to an update we made to a story about how the food crisis is affecting the civilian population. After publication, we learned that a child shown in that story — in addition to being severely malnourished — also had pre-existing health problems. That additional information gave readers a greater understanding of his situation.”
The spokesperson added that “attempts to threaten independent media providing vital information and accountability to the public are unfortunately an increasingly common playbook, but journalists continue to report from Gaza for The Times, bravely, sensitively, and at personal risk, so that readers can see firsthand the consequences of the war.”