Asked by Sabol if the family has received “any confirmation” of the young woman’s whereabouts, Levy said they have not confirmed her location but believe she was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists and is being held in Gaza.
“Her parents on Sunday, just after the Oct. 7 attacks that Saturday, went to all the hospitals in Israel, and we couldn’t find her as well,” he said. “And we got a formal notice that she is missing. We are under the belief that she’s hostage in Gaza, held by the Hamas terrorists.”
Levy said Eshel and her mother exchanged brief texts before the former’s disappearance. “Mom, don’t worry, I’m okay,” he said Roni Eshel wrote. “Her mother replied, ‘I love you.’ And she said again, ‘Don’t worry. I’m okay. I love you.’”
Asked what the family’s biggest concern is as it awaits word from Eshel, Levy said it was “a very difficult question to answer.”
“I think we’re concerned,” he said. “Where is she now? Is she hurt? If Hamas, you know, holds her — you’ve seen these terrorists, what they are capable of. I’m sure you’ve seen all the videos, the cruelty, the brutality, the savageness.”
“And so being held by this group of terrorists, it’s unbearable thinking,” he said.