On the evening of October 7th, the world was shocked by a terrorist attack that took place in the home of Amsalem and Miriam Ben-Shimol, twin siblings living in the settlement of Har Adar in Israel. As of now, Miriam is in critical condition after sustaining four stab wounds during the attack and her brother, Amsalem, lays in the hospital after a bullet to the abdomen.
To get a closer look at the tragedy that occurred and how those closest to the victims were affected, the media has recently spoken with Aviezer Ben-Shimol, the older brother of the twins, who witnessed the attack firsthand.
Aviezer recounts that on the night of the attack, he was in the house on the phone with his mother when he suddenly heard loud noises upstairs. Immediately, he reached out for help but no one responded. It was then that he knew something was wrong. In fear, Aviezer ran outside his home in an attempt to flee the house. It was only at this moment that he realized the terrorists had barricaded the only exit out of the house and surrounded it with guns.
Aviezer then focused his attention to an upstairs window. He could hear his sister’s screams and saw a man with a knife standing next to her. He immediately ran back inside and pushed his way into the room where Miriam and Amsalem were being attacked.
Despite his valiant effort, the terrorist had already inflicted life-threatening wounds upon Miriam. When the police arrived on the scene, the terrorist was shot dead and Miriam and Amsalem were rushed to the hospital.
Unfortunately, these events have further polarized the politics of the Middle East, and the hostage incident has created tensions between Israel and Palestine. With that being said, the Ben-Shimol family has pleaded for peace on their son and daughter’s behalf in the hope that such a tragedy never takes place again.