A British woman living in Israel with her family sheltered in a smoke-filled room for hours after Hamas militants set fire to their home.
Deborah Mintz told Sky News how fighters had attempted to break into a concrete-reinforced shelter where she had taken cover with her daughter, son-in-law and their 10-day-old baby.
While the reinforced room had steel doors to shield against rocket attacks, it wasn’t equipped with locks – prompting an hours-long battle.
Read more: Israel-Gaza war – live updates
“My daughter and her husband took turns holding the handle in an upright position,” she said.
“When Hamas saw my daughter and her husband were stronger than they were, they set fire to the house and tried to smoke us out.”
Key developments:
• The number of people killed in Israel after Hamas’s surprise attack rises to more than 1,000
• Bodies of 1,500 militants found, say Israeli authorities
• 830 people die in Gaza after Israeli airstrikes
• Israeli ground assault on Gaza expected as tanks guard border against further incursions
• 30 missing people reportedly found in a kibbutz three days after Hamas attack
• US offers hostage rescue support to Israel, Sky News confirms
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‘This conflict is escalating’
Ms Mintz described how smoke began billowing into the room in the struggle – leaving them with no fresh air or electricity.
When they felt the militants were not near their property, they took the risk of opening a steel window to allow them to breathe.
The family, who live in the city of Modi’in, described their ordeal as a “terrifying experience” – and when siren alerts had initially gone off early on Saturday morning, they assumed one or two rockets would be fired overhead.
“One of the hardest things was to hear my dog burn to death, screaming – a sound that will never leave me,” Ms Mintz said.
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Women survive shootout in Israel
Israeli soldiers later secured the area and helped them to safety.
Ms Mintz’s grandson needed to spend a couple of days in hospital to receive oxygen and around-the-clock care.
The newborn boy also had tests on his heart and lungs, but is “doing well” after being discharged.
