Kan 7.10.360 | Rai family from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7

When the alarms start, Doreen and Bijay Rai run to the safe room with their three children - Maya (11), Nea (9) and Ram (7). The house shakes from explosions and they barely manage to close the door. Doreen reassures the children and assures them: “I'll arrange clothes for us and as soon as we can leave we will drive away to the family.” The family's two dogs, Thika and Choti, are on the balcony.

Doreen goes out onto the balcony and tries to get the dogs into the safe room without success. She will then go out again to get food for the children and check that the dogs are OK. In those minutes, the infiltration of terrorists into Kibbutz Nir Oz begins.

Doreen walks out of the safe room once more and hears the sounds of close gunfire. She notices that the window net in the living room has shifted slightly, she assumes that someone has peered into the house and quickly returns to the sheltered room. On the family WhatsApp group she writes: 'Sounds like there was gunfire here on houses outside and also more residents heard it, I thought I imagined'.

In the local application, they update that there are terrorists in the clinic area of the kibbutz and residents are asked to lock the houses and not open to anyone. Doreen unfolds a blanket between the bed and the cupboard for the three children and covers them with a duvet.

The terrorists break into the family home. They shoot at the door and windows, riot and break objects. In the family group, Doreen writes: “They shout at us Allahu Akbar, love you all.” She also records a voice message, in English, so the children don't understand: “Shit, I think they're going to kill us.” In the second recording she whispers in English: “We don't want to die, I hope at least the children will be OK. If they go inside, we're dead, I'm sure. I'm sorry I worried you.”

The terrorists shout “Allahu Akbar” in the hallway of the house. They try to open the door of the safe room and almost succeed, with Bijay on the other side holding the door tightly and not letting go. Throughout the day, terrorists entering the house try to open the safe room door four times, and Bijay manages to hold it closed.

The terrorists kidnap the two dogs from the house. In a documentation, crowds of terrorists and looters heading back towards the fence in the late morning are seen, and one of them is holding Thika. Choti, a bigger dog, is dragged behind them on a motorcycle.

Throughout the day, terrorists enter and leave the Rai family home unhindered at least six times, shooting, shouting and vandalizing property. At one point a group of looters arrives and takes everything within reach. Doreen tries to reassure the children: “We're protecting you. Look, Daddy's not leaving the door.”

After hiding in the safe room for 11 hours, including ten hours during which Bijay held the door, a group of fighters from Shayetet 13 arrives at the house. One of the girls begs the parents not to opem the door because she is sure these are terrorists who have returned to kill them. After a conversation with the fighters through the door, the parents become convinced and open. One of the soldiers reassures the girl and apologizes that they scared her. When the Rai family walks out of the messed up house, there is no trace of the dogs anywhere. They spend the night in the sheltered kindergarten in the Kibbutz.