The body of a motorist lies on a road following a mass-infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Sderot, southern Israel October 7, 2023. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

On Sunday, I sent messages to my friends that could be the last ones they read.

Ever since I was a child, I practiced running to shelters. In school, we were taught what to do in case of a war or attack, and how to go to a shelter. Since then, this practice has turned into my reality many times.

Fast forward to recent years, when my friends and I were drafted into the army (as it is mandatory in Israel). I served in the IDF Spokesperson unit, and with every operation, we did our best to show the world what we experienced — destruction, fear, and helplessness. Every day, I fought the false news spewed about Israel from the international media.

It was then that I first received messages from my friends that served in combat, alerting me that they were going offline and to keep them in my thoughts.

As an Israeli, I am closely familiar with existential fear. But on Saturday, I learned that I knew nothing about fear.

On Saturday, I woke up early in the morning to the sudden sound of sirens. I automatically ran to a shelter, while trying to seek information about what was happening. I quickly discovered that something horrific occurred.

As the hours passed, the information continued flowing. Rockets were launched nonstop from Gaza into many areas throughout the country, including where I was sheltering in Tel Aviv.

Hamas terrorists infiltrated our border, and took over many residential communities in the Gaza Strip.

They violently broke into homes and slaughtered children, families, and elderly people, some of whom were still in their pajamas.

Families were hiding in shelters, parents were lying on top of their children to try to protect them — hearing the terrorists inside their homes on the other side of the door, trying to break down their shelter doors to murder them. They did not know that aside from the brutal bloody murders, the terrorists were violently kidnapping families, the elderly, and people who lived alone, by putting guns to their heads, kidnapping them, and dragging them into Gaza.

People were in their own homes, feeling like sheep led to a slaughter.

These peaceful people who were in their own homes are now missing.

In another instance, a peaceful music party was being held in a large field. At 6:30 in the morning, Gazan terrorists crossed the border and violently massacred the young Israelis as they ran to save their lives. More than 250 were killed, some were injured, some were kidnapped, and some are still missing.

Families recognized their loved ones in videos disseminated by the Gazan media, showing the kidnapped people in central Gaza. Others were able to trace the phones of missing relatives and saw they were in Gaza.

Every Israeli’s social media accounts are flooded by people posting about their missing loved ones and asking if anyone has seen them. I recognized two people I know, who went to a high school right next to mine. It seems almost everyone knows someone who is missing or kidnapped.

Hundreds of people are still missing. We do not know if they are alive, injured, or dead.

Hundreds of people who woke up on Saturday morning either in their home or at a peaceful party are now on a missing person list.

I am still scared for my life. I am scared for the lives of my family and friends. Every one of us knows a person who was called to reserves.

This war is unlike anything I have experienced.

Hamas’ people and supporters are violent terrorists. They are brutal, merciless, and inhumane. They commit abhorrent war crimes. They spare no life of peaceful families. They are out for blood, and no one is safe.

I write these words and my hands shake. My phone keeps buzzing from notifications about more and more sirens that are sounding, civilians and soldiers who are killed, terrorists from Gaza who still are on the run inside Israel, along with other disasters.

My online feed is full of pictures of my friends who are in reserves, and who are now going to battle to protect the lives of Israeli citizens and our democratic country. They are asking me to pray for them. I am anxiously waiting for some of them who are now offline to respond.

I am afraid. The only thing that is left for us to do is pray and speak out against the war crimes and atrocities that are being committed by the Hamas terrorists in Gaza, and the thousands of people in Gaza who support and protect these terrorists.

You should too.

Hili Kupershtein graduated high school in 2020, enlisted in the IDF, and served in the Spokesperson Unit, International Communications branch. She completed her service in 2022, and was supposed to start university in a week to complete a double degree in law and government. She is pursuing a career in international relations and human rights.