A California family is waiting on tenterhooks for the release of their nephew held hostage in the Gaza Strip by Hamas.
The family of Amit Shani say the teen was kidnapped in the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel after witnessing his village being destroyed and classmates killed.
Right before Shani, an Israeli national, was taken hostage from his home at Kibbutz Be’eri in Israel the teen was able to send frantic texts to his loved ones and friends.
He has since spent his 16th birthday as a hostage and his family are desperate for any information about him.
Tarzana, Calif. resident Elle Benami, cousin of Shani’s father Nir, told The Post her family are frantically waiting more than 40 days later.
“We knew [he would not be] released on Friday and it’s disappointing, so we have been very anxious and afraid,” Benami said.
“We are trying not to think about it, but every day he’s still there, he is in danger.
“Maybe he’s still tied up in the dark, cold and afraid. Maybe he hasn’t had a chance to shower for weeks and hostages are defecating and urinating on themselves.
“We also don’t know if he’s been injured and what the conditions there are like … if he’s somewhere rat-infested and horrendous.”
Other families are also anxiously waiting after Israel and Hamas brokered a four-day pause on fighting.
The deal between Israel and Hamas saw a cease-fire begin on Friday and Hamas released 24 hostages: 13 Israelis, 10 Thai nationals and one Filipino citizen.
They are the first of approximately 240 hostages Hamas captured during the terror attack. As part of the deal Israel will exchange up to 150 Palestinian prisoners.
While they have not heard anything about Shani yet, Benami said the whole family are trying to remain hopeful.
She said Shani was with his mother and two younger sisters in Kibbutz Be’eri when Hamas soldiers entered their home around noon on Oct. 7.
“He was able to text on WhatsApp and for a period of about half an hour, he was pleading for help,” Benami said. “He texted, ‘They are in my neighborhood, shooting at houses and now they are trying to get into my house! Please, please … we need help!’”
Benami said when Hamas soldiers finally broke into the home, they took Shani and bound his hands. Shani’s mother and his two younger sisters also were apprehended, but there was not enough room in the truck for them.
“So instead these Hamas terrorists ripped the girls’ necklaces and put knives to their throat and took pictures of them like that,” Benami said. “They took Amit and basically, it was like he was just meat and they threw him in the truck.”
The Hamas soldiers made the women and girls walk alongside the truck, but after a while, the soldiers stopped and let them go.
“The last thing Amit saw was his two sisters being surrounded by seven terrorists armed with guns and knives,” Benami said. “I don’t think he knows they are even alive.”
Shani’s father, Nir Shani, was in another home when his son was taken hostage. Nir nearly died after his own home was set on fire by terrorists, Benami said.
Benami said Nir suffered severe smoke inhalation, but was rushed to a hospital where he was able to recover. Now they are waiting for any word about the 16-year old boy’s whereabouts.
“We technically don’t know if Amit is alive, but we are told that his name is among the other hostages who will be released in hopefully the next group,” Benami said. “We’re assuming he is alive, but we also don’t know what condition he is in.”
Shani’s 14-year old cousin, Ela, also lived in Kibbutz Be’eri, but was able to escape and survive the attack.
Ela Shani said she remembers calling her cousin Amit two days before the Oct. 7 attack and talked about preparing a barbecue.
Ela Shani and her family were able to stay in a “safe room” in their home during the attack. She felt helpless as she read her cousin’s WhatsApp texts where he was pleading for help.
Other teens from the Kibbutz also wrote on the text thread, saying their parents were murdered by the terrorists. Two of Shani’s best friends also were killed.
In a heartfelt video, Ala Shani said her cousin celebrated his 16th birthday as a Hamas hostage in Gaza.
“Amit is very talented,” the teen said. “He likes running, surfing. He’s an excellent student and he is very smart. Amit is one of the funniest people I have ever met and I always enjoy spending time with him.
“Right now I miss him more than anything. Please help us bring him back to us safely. Bring him back to us alive.”