(Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Gila and Doron Tregerman - Dear Sir: My name is Gila, I am an Israeli citizen, and I am a resident of Kibbutz Nahal Oz, near the border with Gaza. A week ago, we lost our eldest son, Daniel, age 4 1/2, when he was killed by a mortar shell fired from Gaza into Israel. I address you after your announcement of an international investigation of "Israel's crimes" in the recent fighting in Gaza. We found ourselves constantly debating whether to move to another location, quieter, safer, far from rocket fire from Gaza. Then came the threat of terrorist tunnels, which Hamas members dug from Gaza to Israel under our home to hurt us. At night we heard noises and voices digging beneath us. Thus, in the last six months our children slept with the window closed and locked. We were afraid that they would be kidnapped. Can you imagine our life? How do you live in constant fear of mortar shell and terrorists emerging from tunnels? Then on August 22, Daniel was killed. All the precautions we had taken failed. Daniel was killed in our house, while playing indoors and not outside, because it's dangerous. Daniel died in our hands, killed from a mortar shell that was fired by Hamas members from an elementary school for boys in Gaza City. Daniel was killed almost immediately. Daniel's father, Doron, covered him with a blanket and we escaped from our home with two small children, leaving our precious son behind, in order to protect them from bombs that continued to explode around the house. Your investigation committee will examine the "crimes of Israel" during the fighting. The investigation committee is not asked to investigate how terrorists shoot out of UN buildings and schools. It won't investigate how Hamas abuses the Palestinian people, and how its members force residents of Gaza, even children, to dig tunnels aimed only for terrorism against Israel. It won't investigate how after these excavations, Hamas murdered the diggers, just to be sure they won't be able to pass information to Israel. The terrorists, fully equipped and full of hatred, that attacked us in our homes, are the same as those who kidnapped 43 UN observers in Syria. They are the same as those who decapitated innocent people in Syria and Iraq. They are the same as those who crashed aircraft into crowded buildings in 2001 in New York. My husband's parents also live near the border fence and three and a half years ago a Qassam rocket exploded and destroyed their home. Up until a few years ago they had good relations with the residents of Gaza. They hired workers from Gaza and Paulina, Daniel's grandmother, drove them home - to Rafah, every evening after work. They used to invite each other for weddings and other celebrations and often traveled to Rafah or Gaza. All that ended when Hamas rose to power and ordered the civilians who worked in Israel to kill their Israeli employers. It is our hope that our neighbors, the people of Gaza, will be able to live peacefully in their homes and build and develop their beautiful country. We believe that the vast majority of the people on this planet do not want to see the sights of blood, tears and fire of the radical Islam movement, but to live peacefully, enjoy kid's laughter, wait for a better tomorrow. We do not seek the people responsible for our Daniel's death. We only wish your response and your voice against this crime and the crime Hamas has committed against their own people. Gila and Doron Tregerman, Nahal Oz, Israel
2014-09-05 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive