BE'ERI, ISRAEL: The story of Adrienne Neta, a 66-year-old California native, is one of the many harrowing tales emerging from the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
Adrienne was seated on the front porch of her home in Be'eri, Israel, engaged in a phone conversation with her children when, without warning, the Palestinian militant group Hamas suddenly arrived. The last thing her son Nahar Neta heard was his mother's agonizing screams.
Adrienne Neta's son Nahar is hopeful
Nahar expressed his hope, however faint, stating, "It is our hope—which is a little bit ridiculous at this stage to say—but the optimistic scenario here is that she’s held hostage in Gaza and not dead on the street of the kibbutz where we grew up," CNN reports.
This tragic situation has left dozens of American families in a state of uncertainty, forcing them to rely on cell phone footage and survivor accounts in their desperate attempts to piece together Adrienne's potential fate.
The Israeli rescue agency Zaka reported on Monday that they had recovered 100 bodies from the kibbutz where Adrienne resided.
“We don’t believe she is among the dead, but everything is a blur and no one has any concrete information,” said Nahar, per Fox News. The crisis in the region has not only taken a significant toll on the people of Israel and Palestine but has also affected American citizens.
US, Israel and Palestine grapple with loss as conflict escalates
President Joe Biden, in a somber announcement, revealed that the American death toll in the war had reached 14, with over 900 confirmed Israeli fatalities and more than 2,800 injuries resulting from the Palestinian militant group attack. Furthermore, at least 20 Americans are reported missing, according to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
Israel has responded with retaliatory strikes in the Gaza Strip, following a promise of "mighty vengeance" from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Palestinian officials report an estimated 900 Palestinian casualties since airstrikes began per CNN.
The leader of the Israeli Defense Forces has already issued a warning of implementing a blockade on Gaza. "I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed,” said Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
He added, "We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly," as reported by The Times of Israel.
