Gaza Border Kibbutz Resident Recounts 38 Hours of Terror on Oct. 7
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
Michelle Breiter, a resident of Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, described spending 38 hours in a safe room with her four children during the October 7 Hamas attack. Her husband protected the family while they heard of defenders falling and militants attacking. Rescue came after a WhatsApp message alerted IDF pilots to strike terrorists near their home. Breiter expressed anger at the government's lack of accountability and the absence of an official investigation.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Michelle Breiter and her four children survived 38 hours in a safe room during the October 7 attack on Kibbutz Kerem Shalom.
- Her husband, a former paratrooper, defended their family while militants attacked the kibbutz.
- Rescue was facilitated by a WhatsApp message that alerted IDF pilots to strike terrorists.
- Breiter criticized the authorities' inaction and the lack of a state commission of inquiry.
- She has a tattoo of 'October 7' to remember the date and expressed bitterness towards leaders.
Michelle Breiter, a resident of Kibbutz Kerem Shalom on the Gaza border, shared her harrowing experience of October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists attacked. She spent 38 hours sheltering in a safe room, known as a MAMAD, with her four children, the youngest just nine days old. Her husband, a former paratrooper and member of the kibbutz's self-defense force, was unable to fight due to a lack of weapons and instead protected their family.
During their ordeal, Breiter listened to voicemails from neighbors detailing the deaths of defenders as approximately 150 militants attacked the kibbutz. Emergency services were unresponsive, with the army base having fallen and police advising them to wait. Facing the possibility of terrorists breaching their shelter, Breiter and her husband contemplated a desperate choice: to hide the older children and stay with their infant daughter, who they feared would cry and reveal their location.
Their salvation came unexpectedly via WhatsApp, when the kibbutz's security coordinator contacted IDF pilots through the messaging app. A helicopter strike targeted a concentration of terrorists near the residential buildings, enabling their eventual rescue. Following the attack, the family evacuated and lived abroad for six months before returning to Israel and deciding to rebuild in Kerem Shalom.
Breiter now bears a tattoo of the Roman numerals "October 7" as a constant reminder. She expressed deep bitterness over the authorities' inaction, stating that responsibility lies with everyone from junior officers to the prime minister. She criticized the lack of a state commission of inquiry and the failure of those responsible to visit the kibbutz and face the residents.
