DALLAS — Following a surprise attack by Hamas, videos quickly circulated online of dead bodies and abductions in Israel, including images shared by the Israeli Government on X.
Some of them feature people Aya Margalit knows and loves.
"I have friends, their whole families were slaughtered, babies, children," she told WFAA, crying.
Margalit, her husband, and their three children lived in a kibbutz just 2 miles outside of Gaza. They moved to Dallas in August.
"I was a teacher, just before I came here....one of my kids from class was taken [by Hamas]...I was his teacher for four years," she said. "He's only 11, he's the funniest, most wonderful little boy. I always told him when he grows up, he's going to be a comedian and I'm going to be there in the first row rooting for him."
"Even if he comes back, how will he ever smile again?" she asked. "I know colleagues that are dead… Murdered in front of their children. Kids that were… Kids that were next to their parents dead for hours."
Margalit told WFAA she knows 30 people taken hostage by Hamas, as well as 10 who were killed.
"I'm so sorry I'm not there," she said. "I'm so sorry there's nothing I could do. I'm sorry for being grateful my kids are okay."
"This is not anything that anyone could ever imagine humans could do," Margalit said.
Margalit always planned to move back to Israel with her family once she finished up work in Dallas.
"But how…will I ever feel safe again?" she asked. "At my house? How will I ever feel safe putting my kids to sleep? How?"