The Survival Secret of an Elderly Couple Held Hostage by Hamas for 20 Hours: "They Served Meals to the Captors"

Five Hamas Militants Break into Home
Offer Food and Talk to Ease Tensions

The story of an Israeli grandmother who survived safely after soothing Hamas militants, a Palestinian armed faction, who broke into her home and took her hostage for 20 hours has become a hot topic.

On the 18th (local time), according to the US daily The New York Times (NYT) and AP News, the protagonist is Rachel Edri (65), a grandmother living in the village of Ofakim, about 40 km from the Gaza Strip border. Grandma Rachel has lived here for 41 years with her husband, David Edri.

Rahel Edri (center), who showed presence of mind and survived safely in the Hamas hostage situation, along with her husband (left) and their son, a police officer (right)
Photo by AFP Yonhap News

On the morning of the 7th, when Hamas launched simultaneous surprise attacks, five Hamas militants armed with weapons and grenades broke into the Edri couple’s home. They locked the elderly couple in the second-floor bedroom. Grandma Rachel gradually broke down their guard by telling the Hamas militants, "I have diabetes and need to get my insulin injection," and "I want to go to the bathroom."

At that time, one Hamas militant wearing a grenade threatened Grandma Rachel by hitting her face with the butt of a gun, but she remained calm. She first asked the Hamas militants about their families and carefully softened the tense atmosphere by offering them tea, cookies, and Zero Cola. The hostage-takers sometimes wanted regular cola instead of Zero Cola, but Rachel explained, "I have diabetes, so I only have Zero Cola at home."

Grandma Rachel said, "One of them told me that I reminded him of his mother," and "So I told him, 'I really am like your mother. I will help and take care of you. What do you need?'" She added, "After eating, they calmed down a lot," and "While talking, I even momentarily forgot that they were terrorists."

After several hours passed and it was past 4 p.m., Grandma Rachel thought they might be hungry again, so she prepared lunch for them. According to Rachel, the hostage-takers ate the prepared food like horses. Feeling much more at ease, one of the hostage-takers sang a Hebrew song by an Israeli singer. In response, Rachel sang an Arabic song by an Egyptian singer.

Israeli Police Shoot Hamas Militants

Taking advantage of a moment when the Hamas militants were off guard, the Edri couple secretly informed the police that Hamas militants were occupying their home. Their son, police officer Evyatar Edri, drew the layout of the house to help the rescue team’s entry. Eventually, the Edri couple was rescued in the early morning of the 8th after 20 hours of captivity. During the police suppression, the Hamas militants were shot dead by Israeli police. The house was also damaged during the rescue operation.

As this story became known, Grandma Rachel emerged as a symbol of hope among the Israeli people. A mural combining Rachel’s face with the image of 'Rosie the Riveter,' symbolizing strong women, appeared on the streets of Tel Aviv. AP News also reported that some Israelis compare Rachel to Yael, a figure in the Jewish Bible who offered food to an enemy general before killing him.

On the 18th (local time) in Tel Aviv, Israel, Rachel Edri (65), a grandmother and survivor of the Hamas attack, is meeting and hugging U.S. President Joe Biden.
[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

On the 18th, Rachel attended a meeting with US President Joe Biden in Tel Aviv along with her family. Other survivors of the Hamas attack and families of victims were also present, and Rachel shared a hug with President Biden.

The NYT, reporting on Rachel’s survival story, said, "In a moment of terror, this ordinary Israeli grandmother acted in a typically grandmotherly way," and "She offered food to the guests who came to her home. This was a remarkable instinctive act that stood out to the people of this country who need a place to lean on now."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.