Israel hails as 'superwomen' 2 Keralites who saved lives of elderly couple from Hamas attack

PTI, THIRUV ANANTHAPURAM, OCT 18, 2023 : Two women from Kerala working as caregivers of an elderly couple in Israel also became their lifesavers during the October 7 attack on that country by insurgents from the Hamas outfit, which controls Gaza. 

The Israeli Embassy in India, in a post on social media platform X, has hailed the two Keralites -- Sabitha and Meera Mohanan -- as "Indian superwomen". It also shared the viral video of Sabitha in which she narrates what happened on October 7 when Hamas group launched a surprise attack on Israel. 

In her video message, Sabitha vividly describes the harrowing incident when she and Mohanan bravely protected themselves and the elderly couple they were caring for. 

Gripping the door handle of the safety room inside the house tightly, they courageously held on, preventing the attackers from breaking in despite the hail of bullets coming their way. 

Of the elderly couple they were taking care of, the woman was suffering from ALS disease, she said. Recounting the sequence of events that unfolded on that day, Sabitha said that around 6.30 am they heard sirens and ran into the safety room. 

They, thereafter, got a call from the couple's daughter who told them that things were out of control in the area -- a kibbutz called Nir Oz near the border with the Gaza strip -- and to lock all the doors of the house. 

"Within a few minutes after that, we heard terrorists breaking into the house. shooting and breaking the glass. 

"We called the daughter back asking what to do and she told us to hold on to the door handle of the safety room and not let go," Sabitha, who has been working in Israel for the last three years said. Both women held on to the door handle for over four- and-a-half hours as the attackers hit and rained bullets on it and demanded that they open it, she said. "The terrorists had entered our house around 7.30 am. 

They destroyed everything in the house. We did not know what was going on in the house. Around 1 pm, we heard more shooting and the father of the house said that the Israeli Defence Forces have arrived to rescue us," she said. 

After the IDF arrived, they all went outside and saw that the things inside the house were completely destroyed and looted, she said. "We do not have anything. They looted us completely, including Meera's passport. My emergency bag (containing important documents) was also taken by them," Sabitha said. 

She said that something like this had never been experienced by either of them. "We knew missiles would be falling and when that happens we have to get inside the safety room. We are to also keep our emergency bag inside the safety room, but on that day we did not have time for anything," she added. 

The war that began on October 7 has become the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Gaza Health Ministry said 2,778 Palestinians have been killed and 9,700 wounded. 

Another 1,200 people across Gaza are believed to be buried under the rubble, alive or dead. More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed, and at least 199 others, including children, were captured by Hamas and taken into Gaza, according to Israel.