Roni Eshel, 19, an Israel Defense Forces communication lookout soldier in the Gaza border division, has been missing since the start of the war. According to her father, she had noticed Hamas' meticulous preparations ahead of the attack.
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"'Dad, they're studying us', she told me. 'They're doing their homework. They know almost every corner of the fence itself'. She had this insight months ago,"Eyal Eshel, Roni's father, told Ynet Live.
"She was her own filter. She knew what she could reveal. She shared only what her conscience permitted," he explained. "As for the technical failures and other details? I'm not sure. She kept those to herself. Ultimately, all that remains are the stories she chose to share within the confines of our home."
Eyal Eshel emphasized that "there were clear warnings, and nobody can deny it. Soldiers eventually share their experiences. They have parents waiting for them at home, sharing meals, discussing their days. Does the IDF expect me to believe that everything was fine until Saturday morning? It was a devastating Saturday for all of us. Soldiers are talking, but it seems nobody is taking their accounts seriously. There's a need for someone to sit down with them and conduct a proper investigation."
Following the horrendous attack, Eyal visited the outpost where his daughter was stationed. "I went down south, to Nahal Oz, witnessing horrifying scenes. Uniforms drenched in blood, rooms in disarray, and the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) destroyed. Nahal Oz's EOC, once one of the most advanced in the Middle East, is now reduced to four skeletal beams. That's all that remains," he recounted solemnly.
"I am steadfast in my determination to bring Roni home. This promise is not just to myself, but also to my wife, Sharon, and for the well-being of our entire family. We have two more children waiting for her at home. We are living in a nightmare," her father asserted.
He said he has several accounts of the last place where Roni was seen. "We rely on testimonies from the soldiers who managed to escape that inferno. There are various accounts. We piece together information from fragments, using a private Emergency Operation Center I've established at home with the support of people from the entire security system."
He recounted the events from Saturday morning when the Hamas attack started.
"It all began in the morning with missiles raining down on all of us. At precisely 9:27 a.m., Sharon received an SMS from Roni. Strangely, it wasn't sent via WhatsApp; it came from a phone belonging to one of the other soldiers. The message read, 'Mom, I'm fine. I'm in the Emergency Operation Center. I love you.' Sharon replied, 'I love you too,' adding two hearts, and then the connection was abruptly lost. It was the last we heard from our daughter."
"I set up an Emergency Operation Center at home and received updates from helpful individuals," he said. "Surprisingly, no official has uttered a word. I was able to track Roni's phone regularly from Nahal Oz up until Friday morning, however, now, it's untraceable. The emotions I'm experiencing are incredibly difficult."