SACRAMENTO, Calif. — An Israeli man with California ties has seven missing family members, who disappeared from an Israeli community after Hamas militants attacked on Oct. 7, the day that sparked the war.
Gilad Korngold spoke with ABC10 about his struggle to get information, the fight to rescue his family and his hope they’re still alive.
“It’s very, very tough. Very, very hard,” he said.
Earlier in his life, Korngold lived in California and still has family living in the region. He now lives in Israel, where his world turned upside-down on the morning of Oct. 7. Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israelis, killing more than 1,400 people and capturing at least 200 others.
“They burn everything, everything, everything. They leave hell,” he said.
Among the missing are his son and daughter-in-law, Tal and Adi Shoham; their kids – Korngold’s grandkids – eight-year-old Nave and three-and-a-half-year-old Yahel. Adi’s mother, aunt and cousin are also missing.
Korngold's family has opened claims for them with the Red Cross.
Throughout Israel – including along the border with Gaza – are about 270 small towns called kibbutzim, traditionally rooted in collective farming and shared resources and with populations of anywhere from about 100 to slightly more than 1,000.
On Oct. 7, Hamas militants attacked kibbutzim near Gaza, including Kibbutz Be’eri. That’s where Korngold’s son, daughter-in-law and grandkids – who live a few hours away in Northern Israel - were visiting Adi’s parents, aunt and cousin who live there.
“It's one of the biggest kibbutzim in the area and in Israel. It was 1,200 people there,” Korngold said.
Kibbutz Be’eri is just three miles from Gaza.
Korngold lives in Kibbutz Gvulot, which is eight miles from Gaza and did not get attacked that day. His son, daughter-in-law and grandkids were supposed to come visit him next but they never made it.
Korngold, his wife and their other son have since received word their loved ones might be among the hostages taken to Gaza.
“We have (notification) that our family was almost for sure there in Gaza Strip…It gives us hope,” Korngold said.
As hostages, they could still be alive. But that hope got complicated this week. Adi’s father – previously thought to be a hostage – was declared dead after his remains were identified.
“You know, it’s everything messed up again in our brains,” Korngold said. “Now we still being in the dark. We don’t understand what’s happened.”
Korngold and his family have dual Israeli-Austrian citizenship. His daughter-in-law and the grandkids have dual Israeli-German citizenship. Korngold is now hanging his hopes on international diplomacy.
“Both authorities German and Austrian help us very much,” he said. “The ambassador calls me all the time and asks if we need something and gives us information. It's very important to us.”
At this point, he said, so much is unknown, especially about the grandkids.
“I don't know even if they're together with their mother. We don't know if they have a blanket, if they eat good, even if they’re alive,” he said. "I'm strong, but in the night when my wife don't see, I cry. You know, I look at the pictures."
On Thursday, Israel’s military said its latest tally shows 203 hostages have been kidnapped from Israel since Hamas militants attacked on Oct. 7. Another 100 people remain unaccounted for.
Meanwhile, Korngold’s family in the U.S. have started a toy drive with another family who lost loved ones in the Oct. 7 attack. They are trying to do something to cheer up all of the kids who are now displaced and living in shelters in Israel.
