A Palestinian terrorist, identified as Mahmoud Afana and reportedly killed by Israeli forces in central Gaza last weekend, used the phone of one of his victims — 38-year-old Liraz Assulin of Kiryat Malakhi — during the Oct. 7 Hamas-led assault, in which he boasted of killing 10 Israelis.
Assulin was murdered after escaping the Nova music festival, one of the first and deadliest targets in the assault.
The recording of the conversation between the terrorist and his family from the phone of the murdered Liraz Assulin
(Video: IDF)
Her younger sister, Liz, said that while Afana’s death “gives closure” for the family, it offers no comfort. “I personally wanted him to be held accountable. But it doesn’t console me, and it doesn’t change anything,” she said.
Liz described her final moments with Liraz the evening before the terror attack. “We had Shabbat dinner together and parted ways. She went to a party. When the rocket attack started, she updated us that they were waiting for it to calm down so they could get to the car. She sent a recording of gunfire, saying she loved us—it was really like a goodbye message.”
She recounted the moment the family first tried to reach Liraz during the terror attack. “Our sister called her and heard gunfire. At 6:53 a.m., the call dropped. She called several times after, and then this terrorist answered: ‘The Jewish woman is dead. The Jewish woman is dead,’ and hung up. After that, there was no answer.”
In the days following Oct. 7, the family struggled with uncertainty. Liz said they discovered calls from Liraz’s phone to Gaza numbers beginning with 059. “We found out ourselves. She was missing for four days. Then a casualty notification officer told us there were indications she was kidnapped, based on phone tracking and terrorists showing her ID in Gaza.”
Her death was officially confirmed on Oct. 18. “We still don’t know exactly what happened. She went with three friends, and none returned,” Liz said.
Liraz held a master’s degree in business administration and finance, worked as chief accountant at food conglomerate Neto Group, and served on the board of the Tamar Water Corporation. “She was my heart,” Liz said. “My older sister, the cornerstone of our home, is a perfect aunt to my kids and all the nieces and nephews. She always exemplified unity, selfless love and kindness.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referenced Afana’s death during a Cabinet meeting, stating that Israel is intensifying operations in Gaza to eliminate Hamas terrorists responsible for the Oct. 7 massacre. “This includes the same terrorist who called the family and boasted of killing 10 Israelis. We informed the family that he was killed. This is a clear message: we will reach everyone involved,” Netanyahu said.
The chilling phone call in which the assailant repeatedly boasted of his killings was exposed weeks after the massacre. The phone was later recovered during searches in the Gaza border area.
The gunman told his father: “Dad, 10 with my own hands. I’m inside Mefalsim, Dad, I killed 10. Their blood is on my hands. Give me Mom.” His mother responded: “My son, may God protect you.” The attacker continued: “By my life, 10 with my own hands, I felt 10 with my own hands.” His mother answered: “May God bring you back safely.” The gunman then said: “Dad, go back to WhatsApp, I want to livestream for you from inside Mefalsim.” His mother encouraged him further: “I wish I were with you.” The attacker replied: “Mom, your son is a hero.”
At this point, his brother joined the call and asked: “You killed 10?” The gunman responded: “Yes, I killed 10, by my life.” When his brother asked if he was in Zikim, the attacker corrected him: “I’m in Mefalsim, not Zikim. I was the first to enter, with the protection and help of Allah. Hold your head high, Dad.”
The brother urged him to return to Gaza, but the gunman refused: “Return? There is no return. It’s either death or victory. How can I go back? Open WhatsApp, see how many dead there are, how I killed them with my own hands.”