UGA student fears family members are kidnaped in Israel

Ron Tsur doesn’t know when he will see his cousins again. But he hopes it is better than the last video he saw of them.

A video that was posted on social media shows men armed with rifles kidnapping his 12-year-old cousin Erez in early October.

“I was told that this was his biggest fear, to get captured. You know, that’s not a normal way to live an 11-year-old...12-year-old life,” Tsur said.

Tsur says he had two family members killed and three family members kidnapped when Hamas unexpectedly attacked Israel.

The college junior says the family started to get updates from the cousins in Kibbutz Nir Oz early in the morning. They first went to their safe room after hearing rocket sirens.

Then, Tsur says they texted the family that they heard gunfire.

“Erez texted his mom ‘I’m so scared and I love you,’” Tsur said.

Two family members, Carmela and Noya, were killed in the attack. 12-year-old Erez, 15-year-old Sahar, and their father Ofer, are believed to have been kidnapped.

“I pray that they don’t suffer,” Tsur said. “I pray they are alive. I pray that they are still doing as well as they can, but at the end of the day, they are taken.”

The UGA college junior says the past few weeks have been tough. He has tried to stay involved on campus, trying to raise awareness about what families like his are going through.

“That’s something that’s so hard to convey to people who are not directly affected,” Tsur said. “As much as this is a physical war, it’s very much a psychological war as well.”

Tsur has joined classmates in putting up posters and setting up booths to spread information. He plans to continue to spread the word until his family is home safe.

“We want them back, and I hope we get them back,” Tsur said.

On Wednesday at 12:30, Hillels at campuses across Georgia will have a march in solidarity with Israel.

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