Moments before being taken into Gaza during the 7 October attack, the sister of a teenager being held hostage by Hamas shared the last text message she sent to her concerned relatives.
Just moments before her abduction, she quickly sent a final text message to her older sister, Sasha, urging her to stay strong.
In an interview with The Daily Mail, Karina’s 24-year-old sister, who has taken a break from her neuroscience studies to support her during the hostage situation, revealed that Karina is fully aware that this could potentially be the end.
“I could see the understanding in her eyes. A few minutes later, she sent me a message. She asked me to keep our parents safe and to be strong. She told me not to wallow in sorrow but to continue living,” Sasha recalled.
“She didn’t instruct my parents to take care of me. Instead, she entrusted me with the responsibility of looking after our parents. This is the essence of our family dynamic – a strength that binds us together and enables us to keep our family united.”
The families of Liri Albag, 19, Naama Levy, 19, Daniela Gilboa, 20, and Agam Berger, 19, who are still being held inside the besieged enclave, made the decision to release the footage.
Despite ongoing negotiations, several Israelis still remain in captivity and are continuously subjected to relentless bombardment.
“It’s been almost eight months now, and we’re starting to see that people are forgetting about the situation. There’s no deal in sight, and we’re left wondering where we’re headed,” Sasha explained.
“We decided to take a different approach and let the video speak for itself. Our intention was for people to witness and perhaps empathize with the immense pain we endure on a daily basis. We wanted them to comprehend that when we shut our eyes, these distressing images are what haunt us, and the reality is even more harrowing.”
“I could see the pleading in her eyes,” Sasha recalled. “There was a profound sense of helplessness, as if she were a vulnerable child desperately seeking assistance. It was as if she was silently begging, ‘Please, someone help me. I don’t understand what’s happening. There are grenades, I’m injured, and my best friend lies lifeless before me.'”
Karina was staying at an army base on the border of Gaza when she was taken hostage.
Sasha, despite the anguish her family is going through, has traveled the world and conducted over 100 interviews to raise awareness of her sister’s plight.
“I made a promise to my sister that I would take care of them,” she stated.
My sister is the one truly battling in this situation, so I can’t claim that it’s difficult for me. Therefore, I allow my parents to express their emotions more freely, as parents do. Meanwhile, I always reassure them that I am strong and no matter what happens, I won’t be easily broken.
“I am putting in every effort to bring Karina back alive as quickly as possible. And only then will I allow myself to shed tears. But they will be tears of joy.”
