JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A parent who spoke to News4JAX said her stepson is believed to be one of the hundreds of people still being held hostage by Hamas.
Family members of Sagui Dekel-Chen said he put up a fight against Hamas militants before they said he was captured.
His stepmother said Dekel-Chen is a husband and father of two children with a third child on the way.
Gillian Kaye described her stepson as a person who genuinely cares about the well-being of others, volunteering his time and resources to help people less fortunate. On Oct. 7 when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, her stepson reportedly sprang into action to protect his family and his community.
“At 6:30 in the morning, Sagui woke up and heard noises. He saw the terrorists beginning to come into the kibbutz. He locked his wife and kids in their safe room and went outside and began to do surveillance, going from roof to roof, is what we’ve learned. All over the kibbutz, reporting to the security team where the terrorists were and what the movement was. He saved a lot of lives,” Kaye said.
Kaye said she learned her stepson not only provided intel to the security team but also aided them in battling the terrorists. She also said this went on for three hours until he realized they were going home-to-home.
“He retreated into his house when they were coming into the house. We believe he was fighting to keep them out. When they broke in, he was engaged in hand-to-hand combat with them in the house to save and protect his family. From that moment, there was no sign or report of him at all,” Kaye said.
His wife and kids stayed in their safe room and were accounted for, but he was nowhere to be found. Because his body was never discovered, his family believes he was taken with other hostages back to the Gaza Strip. Last week, Kaye’s husband was on a phone call with President Joe Biden who reached out to families with missing loved ones.
“I’m so impressed with President Biden’s, not just empathy, but commitment and the depth of his commitment and understanding to bringing our son and all the hostages back,” Kaye said.
Kaye said she worries about Hamas using her son and other hostages as human shields.
She also said Hamas must be eliminated because it’s too difficult to live next to Palestinians with Hamas in control.