Teen survivor of Kfar Aza massacre says family hid for 16 hours as Hamas rampaged through community

A 13-year-old Israeli girl and her family survived a devastating Hamas attack on their village, which saw some of the worst atrocities against civilians in the militant group's surprise assault on Israel.

Kfar Aza, a settlement of 800 people just a few miles from the Gaza border, was one of the first targets of the weekend assault. Renana Botzer Swissa said it was 6:22 a.m. when she heard alarms blare through her village — "and I just froze." 

"I had a panic attack," she said.

The girl, her parents and her grandmother rushed to their safe room, where they hid and prayed for 16 hours while Hamas rampaged through their community. Her mom helped keep her calm by telling her to think about a Taylor Swift concert they plan to attend next summer, giving her hope that she would make it to June — make it out alive.

But she was also gripped by terror. 

"I thought if they were gonna come into my house into my room, I didn't know what they were gonna do. Are they gonna rape me? Are they gonna kidnap me, are they gonna kill me?" she recalled.

Later that night, they heard the voices of approaching Israeli soldiers. When they exited the shelter, Renana said she didn't recognize her home.

"The smell when we got out, it was just the smell of the war," she said. 

She said she was scared as she walked to a bus to safety, and said a family friend told her, "No no no, you're not crying, not now, you can't fall apart now. ... You need to focus, you need to survive, keep going. Keep walking, walk fast, run."

CBS News first met Renana when she was just 10 years old and even then, she was worried about attacks from Gaza, which the U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas has governed since 2007. 

The final death toll in Kfar Aza is not yet known, but Israeli authorities said that men, women, children and even infants were massacred in the brutal assault – including Ranana's friends and neighbors.

"Too many, best friends," she said.

Her mother, Ilanit, said her daughter made a promise as they sheltered. 

"She told me, 'If we're going to make it together, I will let you kiss me anytime you want.' Because I'm always kissing her and she's always saying, 'Stop, mom. Stop, mom.' Since then, I'm kissing her every minute," Ilanit said. 

As of Thursday morning, Israel's military said more than 1,200 people were killed in Israel, including at least 25 Americans, and some 2,800 people were wounded. At least 1,354 people, including at least 326 children, have been killed in Gaza by Israel's retaliatory strikes, the Gaza Ministry of Health said, adding that almost 6,050 others were wounded.  

In:
• Hamas
• Israel
• Gaza Strip

Norah O'Donnell

Norah O'Donnell is the anchor and managing editor of the "CBS Evening News." She also contributes to "60 Minutes."

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