A BABY who miraculously survived the October 7 attacks as Hamas terrorists burned down his family’s home and slaughtered their neighbours has been seen two years on from the massacre.
Young Kai Mintz, globally remembered as the “windowsill baby”, was just ten days old when he was trapped in the middle of an eight-hour terror rampage in 2023.
Aimee LabbanKai Mintz smiles alongside his family two years on from their home being ransacked and burned down by Hamas thugs[/caption]
Aimee LabbanYoung Kai became globally remembered as the ‘windowsill baby’ for this image of him during the attacks[/caption]
Aimee LabbanThe charred remains of the family home in Kibbutz Nirim[/caption]
On the anniversary of the depraved day of horrors, Kai has been seen waving and smiling alongside his family as they speak to The Sun.
The Mintz family recall fighting for their lives as Hamas operatives tried to murder them in cold blood.
The family’s belongings were all torched by Hamas fighters as they were forced to hide in a safe room fending off the fiends.
Kai’s British grandmother, Deborah Mintz, 60, had travelled from the UK to visit her daughter and newborn grandson that weekend.
She never imagined she’d be trapped in a smoke-filled safe room as dozens of men tried to break in with weapons.
She admitted to The Sun: “I wasn’t really there. It was just like preparing yourself to die.”
Mrs Mintz says the whole family were left in shock and feeling dissociated after hearing their small dog, Mickey, scream as he was burning to death in the flaming house.
Deborah’s brave daughter, Aimee, and her husband Uriel remember having to hold the safe room door shut with their bare hands as the terrorists tried to force it open.
Aimee said: “We needed so much power. It took the both of us just to hold it in place
“It couldn’t have been more than a couple of minutes, but it felt like a lifetime.”
It was baby Kai who gave the terrified family the strength to keep fighting in the face of the murderous fiends at their door.
As thick, black smoke filled the room, Aimee desperately ran over to the small window to allow Kai to breathe in some fresh air.
An image of a sleeping Kai laying on the window frame quickly circulated online.
This life-saving choice by his mum kept Kai alive over a gruelling eight-hour standoff with members of the terror group.
“Somehow we made it work,” Aimee said.
The home was left in ruins as it continued to burn long through the day.
It was only when Israeli forces rushed to Kibbutz Nirim after hearing of the devastation left behind by their enemies that the family were rescued.
Deborah said: “I can’t actually believe we got out. And for real… we survived.”
Aimee LabbanKai’s mum Aimee in hospital after the horror eight-hour ordeal[/caption]
Aimee LabbanThe Mintz family home was left a charred wreck with debris strewn across the town[/caption]
Kai was seen as one of several examples of the brutality of October 7.
Dozens of defenceless children were left killed, orphaned or put in life-threatening situations due to Hamas’ actions.
Kai managed to be one of the lucky ones and is now a healthy two-year-old boy full of life.
The Sun spoke to him and his family and saw his smiling face as he happily sat on his mother’s lap.
At one point, he even waved at the camera during the emotional chat.
A beaming Aimee said: “He speaks three languages now—English, Hebrew and Spanish. Clever boy.”
“He’s a very happy, playful boy… a good boy.”
I visited kibbutz where Hamas slaughtered families… what I saw made my blood run cold
By Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital)
WALKING across endless charred rubble and looking up at more bullet holes than I could count, my stomach turned.
For almost seven decades, kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel was a haven for its 400 residents.
But their paradise just a mile from the Gaza border was torn apart on October 7, 2023.
Dozens of Hamas terrorists stormed the village – killing at random and inflicting a wound that may never fully heal in one of the darkest days in Israel’s history.
Walking around this gut-wrenching crime scene is not for the faint-hearted.
Like many of us, I’ve seen countless photos and videos of the kibbutz – each one more sickening than the last.
But nothing could have prepared me for seeing the area that should be filled with life and instead bears the scars of inconceivable horror in person.
Aside from the occasional cry from a cat or the soft sound of wind chimes, the silence in the kibbutz is deafening.
Once a close-knit community where children grew up and adults grew old, every aspect of human life has been shattered.
Rows of modest, single-storey homes sit burnt-out in a harrowing reminder of Hamas’ callous actions.
Despite surviving the ordeal grandma Deborah still remembers the fear she felt on that day.
She explained: “My head is still stuck in that black day… It’s frightening.
“It will happen again unless the problem is dealt with properly.”
Deborah says she will always be proud of her family for fighting back against evil and coming out on top.
Speaking on the powerful image of the newborn on the windowsill which still resonates around the world, she said: “I didn’t think it would be such a big deal.
“I just thought, if we weren’t going to make it, the world has to know what we tried to do.
“We tried to survive. We didn’t just give up.”
It comes as families from across Israel have gathered to remember their loved ones killed or taken hostage in the October 7 attacks today.
Many of them are also praying for an end to the Gaza War to finally end the bloodshed.
Hamas thugs ransacked Kibbutz Nirim and set cars and homes on fire as they looked to kill in cold bloodAimee Labban
ReutersHamas thugs attacked several Israeli areas on October 7, 2023[/caption]
Donald Trump has been leading the push for a total ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
He has laid out a 20-point plan which is yet to be signed off by Hamas as peace talks continue over in Egypt this week.
The terror group was reported to be holding up the deal by demanding the release of October 7 fighters jailed in Israel.
Trump threatened to unleash “all hell” if they blocked it and allow Israel to launch a complete full-scale ground invasion into Gaza.
One of the main stipulations of the peace deal is the safe return of the remaining hostages in Hamas captivity.
Only around 20 of 48 captives still in the blitz Hamas stronghold are alive but Israel is adamant they want every body regardless before agreeing to drop their weapons.
Trump’s 20-point peace plan in full
1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone
2. Gaza will be redeveloped
3. The war will immediately end
4. Within 72 hours, all hostages will be returned
5. Israel will release 250 dangerous prisoners plus 1700 Gazans detained after Oct 7th
6. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage
7. Full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip
8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference
9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee
10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created
11. A special economic zone will be established
12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza
13. Hamas agrees to not have any role in the governance of Gaza
14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas comply with obligations
15. The US will work to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza
16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza
17. If Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, Israel can proceed with invasion
18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established
19. Credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood can begin
20. The US will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians for peaceful and prosperous co-existence