I’m holding out hope Hamas are holding my missing family hostage after murdering my sister – but it’s a chilling thought
A BRIT lawyer is praying three members of his family are still alive and in the clutches of Hamas – after being told his sister had been killed by the monsters.
Cambridge-educated Ahal Besorai was forced to trawl horrific footage of the massacre in the hope of seeing that they had escaped the terror attack.
He failed to spot them but his sister’s phone was later traced to Gaza, sparking hopes that they had been taken hostage rather than murdered.
Sadly, he has now been told that Yonat Or, 50, was among 120 people killed on the Be'eri Kibbutz.
But they are still holding out hope that her husband and kids survived – and could be freed like the four captives already handed over by Hamas.
Downing Street believe at least five Brits are missing with a dozen murdered in the bloodbath.
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Ahal, 60, said: “It’s mad to say you hope your loved ones have been kidnapped by Hamas, but that's the crazy world in which we live.
“The release of another two hostages gives all the family hope - we are praying they were taken hostage and not killed like my sister.”
He last spoke to businesswoman Yonat as she cowered in a safe room with her husband Dror, 50, and kids Noam, 15, and Alama, 13, when Hamas fiends rampaged through their kibbutz on October 7.
They had a brief, whispered conversation - with gunmen just yards away.
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Ahal, who lived in London for 25 years before a recent move to the Philippines, said: “She said the terrorists were on the kibbutz.
“She could hear them shouting outside and she was whispering in the safe room so as not to be heard.
“She said that she had to go. I hoped all day to receive a call back but none came.
"I didn't want to call her in case that gave away her location.”
The family fled when their house went up in flames leaving Ahal with no clue if they survived or not.
He began trawling footage of the attack in the hope of spotting them alive and said: “It was all I could think to do to watch footage of the massacre these terrorists perpetrated.
"It was incredibly difficult to look at such appalling brutality but as I did so I was looking out for a familiar face, any sign that they were alive.
"I did not see them, but I did see the worst of humanity.
"I had no way of knowing whether she was dead or alive but the IDF traced her phone to Gaza and that's how we believed they were taken hostage.”
Sadly, the family has now received news that her body has been identified as one of those killed at the kibbutz.
Yonat ran a successful business selling vintage furniture and was a hugely popular member of the local community.
Ahal said: “She was a wonderful wife and mother and a valuable member of the kibbutz.
“She started a business selling vintage furniture and built it up to a sizable operation.
“The profits went to the kibbutz but she was the brains and spirit behind it.
“We were last in Israel in April and spent such a happy time there as a family.
"I was brought up at Be'eri and it was good to be back there.
"It is hard to imagine that just a few months later we've been thrown into this terrible, dark place by these acts of evil.”
Acts of evil
Ahal flew back to Israel from the Philippines as soon as he heard Yonat had died.
The family now face an agonising decision of when to bury her.
He said: “We are still hoping that Dror and the boys were abducted and are alive.
“But there are still 20 bodies to be identified from Be’eri so we don’t want to bury her until we know if they are among the dead.
“If they are, we will hold a joint funeral. It’s a terrible time for the family, especially my dad who is 89.
“This is not the sort of thing you need to be dealing with at his age.
"It is a chilling thought that they might be in the hands of these monsters who are no different to ISIS and who have evil in their hearts.”
The only member of the family who escaped the atrocity was the couple’s teenage son.
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The 17-year-old is a volunteer with the Israeli army and was based in the north at the time.
Ahal added: “He is with our family now and is safe - but he is distraught.”