A Week Elapses with Third-Generation IDF Soldier Missing, Leaving Family in Agony

Nineteen-year-old Roni Eshel, a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), was deployed at a military installation near the Gaza border when Hamas initiated an assault last Saturday. Although unresponsive to her mother’s phone call that morning to inquire about her well-being, she subsequently sent a text message affirming her safety.

“I hold you dearly,” conveyed Eshel to her mother, Sharon, approximately three hours after the onset of the attack.

Since then, communication has ceased, plunging the family into a state of heightened anxiety over a week later. Her father, Eyal Eshel, characterizes this agonizing wait for any news of their daughter as torturous.

“I am at a loss for what course of action to take or even what to contemplate. Her whereabouts are unknown. I’m concerned about her living conditions and her well-being,” remarked Eyal Eshel.

Although the IDF has yet to disclose any information regarding captives publicly, Eyal Eshel reports that they have officially classified his daughter as missing, leading him to suspect that she has been abducted.

“What other explanation could there be for her disappearance?” he questioned.

Roni Eshel was raised in a small village to the north of Tel Aviv. She began her mandatory military service a mere two weeks after completing her high school education and was three months into her second year of obligatory service at the time of her disappearance.

“It’s ingrained in our way of life here in Israel,” noted her father.

She was serving in a communications division at a base near Nahal Oz and had recently returned to her post following a short leave just the Wednesday before the incursion.

Eshel took great pride in continuing a family legacy of military service that also includes her father, uncle, and grandfather.

“She took immense satisfaction in serving her nation,” her father disclosed.

Eyal Eshel mentioned that she had ambitions of international travel and higher education following her two-year service commitment. However, those future plans have been rendered inconceivable for him as long as her whereabouts remain unknown. Eyal Eshel reveals that he is unable to focus on sleep, sustenance, or work as he anxiously awaits news of his daughter.

“I am not hesitant to plead for assistance. We implore your help,” he articulated.

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More about Missing IDF Soldier

• IDF Soldier Goes Missing
• Hamas Attack Near Gaza Border
• Israel Defense Forces
• Kidnapping Suspected
• Israeli Military Service
• Family Tradition of Service
• Roni Eshel’s Future Plans
• Eyal Eshel’s Plea for Help