One a Day: Three Years Later, Daniel Speaks for the First Time About the Horror in the Safe Room

Three years after October 7, 2023, Daniel (a pseudonym), a 27-year-old resident of Kfar Aza, speaks for the first time about the moments he saw his parents murdered before his eyes in the safe room while he hid under the bed. He describes the conscious decision to give up on them in order to survive, lying in his mother's pool of blood, and the life that stopped that Saturday. Daniel recounts his childhood in the shadow of rocket sirens, his deep bond with his parents, and the morning when routine was shattered. He recalls the constant argument about closing the safe room door, the approaching gunfire, and the realization that he had to choose between shared death and a chance of survival. He lies under the bed, hearing the shots through the door, his father's groans, and the bullet hitting his mother's stomach. He remains motionless for hours, lying in their pool of blood. After the terrorists left, he sent a warning message to friends, moved to a neighbor's house, and received a morale-boosting call from Naftali Bennett. The rescue came late at night by Givati soldiers. Daniel describes the harsh sights upon leaving the kibbutz and the feeling that time had stopped. Despite the trauma, he is determined to return and rebuild his home in Kfar Aza.