The 90-Year-Old Kibbutznik Mentioned Messi, And The Terrorist Ran Away

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — 90-Year-Old Esther Kunio, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz on the Gaza border, was documented on Oct. 7th holding a gun together with a Hamas terrorist. The bizarre story behind the picture and behind Esther’s survival was told by her on Voces del 7 de octubre – Latino Stories of Survival, a movie set to be released about those who were saved from the tragic fate of 1200 other Israelis.

Kunio related that “I felt that someone was knocking on the door, knocking again and again. They were two and one asked me “Where’s the family?” I told him that “There’s no family, I’m alone. Can’t you see? Look around the house.” The terrorist said that “You’re coming with me. There’s no people here and everything is going to be burned.”

Esther stood up courageously and said “Don’t speak with me, I don’t know your language, you speak Arabic and I hardly speak Hebrew, I speak Argentinian, Spanish.” He asked me: “What’s Argentina?” so I said “Do you watch soccer?” He answered: “Yes, Yes, I like soccer”, so I said “I’m from where Messi lives” and he said “Messi, I like Messi.”

At this point the terrorist uncharacteristically placed his gun in her hands and took a picture with her – and then he and his friend left.

“I hope he (Messi) knows I mentioned him and was saved because of him,” Esther says of Messi. “Now I’m waiting for my  two grandchildren. If possible pray to G-d to get them out (of captivity) because they are worth their weight in gold- David and Ariel Kunio.”

Silvia Kunio with pictures of her children David and Ariel, in Hamas captivity

David (33) and Ariel (26) were kidnapped from Nir Oz. David’s wife and children were also taken captive but have since been released. Three days before their release David was separated from them. The children keep asking “When is Daddy coming back? When will the bad people release him? They get up and night and call for Daddy,” his wife Sharon says.