THIS is the terrifying moment a heroic Israeli firefighter leaps onto a grenade to shield his children from a grenade blast during Hamas’s depraved October 7 attacks.
Two petrified brothers watched in horror as the terror group stormed their home and slaughtered their dad – before one militant casually sipped on a Coca-Cola.
Itay Beit-On (GPO) / Yehezkel Kandil (Sound, GPO)Horror footage showed two Israeli children being saved by their dad during Hamas’s brutal October 7 attacks[/caption]
Itay Beit-On (GPO) / Yehezkel Kandil (Sound, GPO)A terrorist was seen throwing a grenade into a backyard before the dad jumped on it[/caption]
Itay Beit-On (GPO) / Yehezkel Kandil (Sound, GPO)Shay and Koren were seen checking on each other after the attack[/caption]
The chilling ambush on the Taasa family was recorded during Hamas’s deadly assault in late 2023, but was only shown to world leaders and diplomats on Friday.
Mum Jane Taasa has now decided to share the graphic video – with the widow determined “to show all the world the truth that October 7 happened in Israel”.
The filmed brutality was part of a roughly 45-minute compilation of clips from the bloodcurdling attacks nearly two years ago.
Home security footage shows 46-year-old dad Gil desperately rushing his two kids out the house moments before the disturbing encounter unfolds.
His two sons, Koren, 12, and Shay, 8 are seen scrambling into backyard wearing only underwear on their way to the bomb shelter at around 6:30am in the morning.
But just seconds later they are met by a ruthless Hamas militant who chucks a grenade towards the trio.
With instinctive decision-making, the firefighter bravely throws himself on the explosive before it detonates – saving Koren and Shay in the process.
Gil was killed instantly, while his two devastated children were left splattered by blood and shrapnel.
The terror group militants then usher the pair back inside their home.
Inside the house, the two brothers inspected each other’s wounds – with Koren saying he was deaf in one ear and Shay revealing that he was blind.
Sabine later said her younger son’s eye was “hanging half out of its socket”.
Koren can be heard pleading: “Please, please, please. Let me go home!”
He cries: “My dad! My dad!”
Koren then tells his younger sibling Shay: “Dad’s dead, Shay. I’m not joking. It’s really not a prank.”
His brother replies: “I know. I saw.”
A trail of bloody footprints marked the floor as the terrified brothers stumbled around their home.
At one point, a Hamas fighter strolled in and casually asked if they wanted juice or wine – ignoring their desperate screams for their mum.
Instead, he brazenly picked up a bottle of Coca-Cola from the fridge, took a swig and sauntered back outside.
Although world leaders and journalists were shown the unsettling footage this week, it has not been released internally in Israel.
Tel Aviv said the decision to keep it private was “out of respect for the family’s wishes”.
The tragic Taasa family also lost their oldest son Or Taasa, 17, on the same morning while he was on his way to the beach to fish with his friends.
Sabine later testified to the UN in Geneva, revealing that Or was shot six times during his brutal death.
“Is that normal? Shooting a child of 17 six times in the head?” she said.
Itay Beit-On (GPO) / Yehezkel Kandil (Sound, GPO)The dad leapt on a grenade to save his sons[/caption]
Itay Beit-On (GPO) / Yehezkel Kandil (Sound, GPO)The terrorist enjoyed a soft drink in front of the terrified children[/caption]
Itay Beit-On (GPO) / Yehezkel Kandil (Sound, GPO)Gil, 46, pictured just moments before his death[/caption]
Some 1,200 people were killed and around 251 hostages were taken during the October 7 attacks.
Israel believes that 48 hostages now remain in the Gaza Strip, of whom only 20 are thought to still be alive.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday: “The campaign to return the hostages continues continuously.
“We will not rest or be silent until we return all of our hostages home — both the living and the dead.”
It comes as Israeli forces begin the “initial stages” of their assault on Gaza City.
An IDF spokesperson said Friday: “We will deepen our strikes and will not hesitate until we return all the abductees and Hamas is dismantled militarily and governmentally.”
But growing international pressure is mounting on Israel over the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza.
The UN has warned that around one million people now could face renewed displacement.
A famine has also officially been declared in Gaza City for the first time.
UN Secretary General António Guterres has pleaded for an immediate ceasefire “to avoid death and destruction”.
The scale of suffering in Gaza has pushed previously reluctant nations towards recognising a Palestinian state – including France, the UK, Canada and Australia.
Israel claims its Gaza City assault plans remain the only way to defeat Hamas.
Israel continues its assault on Gaza