At 6:30 AM, Saturday, October 7, Sergeant Moti Kakoun and his family were jolted awake by blaring sirens.
Seeking safety, his family, including his daughter Lihi, an Air Force officer, and younger children May, 17, and Michal, 11, hurried into the shelter.
Kakoun ventured outside to fetch water for the family when he spotted two terrorists near their house.
"I saw two figures walking on the road near the house through the kitchen window,” he recalled. “Initially, I thought they were soldiers because of their uniforms and vests, but the fact they spoke Arabic speech immediately revealed their true identity."
Kakoun quickly returned to the shelter, instructing his family to take cover beneath the bed. He armed himself and took position behind a wall inside the shelter. He explained that a few days earlier, the emergency room door's hinge had broken, leaving the secured space without a door.
"As I caught sight of the first terrorist from the corner of my eye, I fired several shots, and he fell with a bullet to the head. The second likely fled," Kakoun said, adding that after neutralizing the terrorist, he retrieved a Kalashnikov rifle from the attacker's body.
More terrorists arrive
Approximately ten minutes later, Kakoun heard voices of more terrorists entering his home.
"Upon discovering the downed terrorist, they began yelling and indiscriminately firing. Subsequently, they removed the terrorist from the house and hurled a grenade at the shelter," he said.
Following the explosion, Kakoun urgently checked on his family.
"May told us that Lihi was unresponsive,” he said. “Immediately, my wife and I brought Lihi out from under the bed, and we saw her head was bleeding."
Kakoun and his wife moved Lihi to a room in the house, as the shelter was in ruins and plunged into darkness. They began administering first aid, and at one point, the father began performing CPR on her.
Meanwhile, their 17-year-old daughter, May, contacted the MDA for assistance.
"Finally, we managed to stabilize Lihi's condition,” Kakoun said. “My wife stayed with her in the room, shielding her with her body and covering them with a blood-soaked blanket, giving the impression they were lifeless. During this time, I reached out to the police and the military, and that's when I realized the gravity of our situation."
Kakoun revealed that they endured a grueling nine-hour wait until rescue teams arrived, with other terrorists attempting to infiltrate their home, but he managed to prevent them from succeeding.
After many agonizing hours, the family was finally evacuated from their home. Lihi’s condition has improved in the days following the attack.