Rotem Mathias, a 16-year-old Israeli-American boy, survived an attack by Hamas fighters over the weekend after his parents shielded him from the incoming gunfire. Based in southern Israel, near the Gaza border, the family got less than a minute to seek refuge after being alerted to the surprise attack by Hamas, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed.
Recalling the harrowing ordeal in an interview with ABC News, the 16-year-old said, "The last thing my dad said is that he's lost his arm. Then, my mom died on top of me."
"I just stopped my breathing. I didn't make any noise. I prayed for any god. I didn't really care which god. I just prayed for a god that they won't find me," he added.
Mathias acted dead for nearly 30 minutes to elude the terrorists who attacked his house. He was later rescued by the Israeli Defence Forces.
He also narrated how his parents messaged on a family group chat before the attack that they heard voices in Arabic. The couple also said that they could hear gunfire in the distance. Then they went silent for 20 minutes before Rotem Mathias responded: "Mom and dad r dead sorry. Call help."
In a surprise attack, Hamas launched 5,000 rockets at Israel on Saturday. The group's fighters then infiltrated Israel using bulldozers, motorcycles, and even paragliders.
Israel has launched massive airstrikes in retaliation and also started mobilising troops near the Gaza border. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government is prepared to use unprecedented force to "wipe out" Hamas.
Israel has also asked over a million civilians in north Gaza to relocate to the south with a ground assault imminent.
The United Nations warned of a disaster and said it would be impossible to move the million or so inhabitants of north Gaza to the south.
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