Spaniel stolen by Hamas rescued by Israeli military
A Cavalier King Charles spaniel feared abducted by Hamas in the Oct 7 attacks has been rescued in Gaza 18 months later.
The female dog, called Billy, is reported to have run towards Israeli troops operating in the southern city of Rafah after hearing them speaking Hebrew.
The three-year-old pet belongs to Rachel Dancyg, whose ex-husband Alex Dancyg was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz and murdered in captivity.
Notices were put up after the massacre and a website was launched dedicated to finding the dog, which went missing after the Hamas attack on the kibbutz, but nothing was heard until its reappearance a year and a half later.
The soldier reported to have found Billy was Aviad Shapira, who has served more than 300 days in Gaza since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas.
He told Israel's Channel 12 that Billy ran into his arms when he and his unit were operating in Rafah, which has been cleared of civilians by the Israel Defense Forces to become part of a 'buffer zone'.
The soldier said that he cared for the dog for four days, then insisted on being allowed to take it out of Gaza.
Billy spent Passover Seder, the traditional Jewish dinner, with Mr Shapira and his family, and was then taken to a vet.
It was at this point that the animal was found to have a microchip implant, confirming it belonged to the Dancyg family. The dog was due to be reunited with its owner on Wednesday.
Yaron Maor, Ms Dancyg's son-in-law, told Ynet, an Israeli news outlet: 'We are in complete shock and overwhelmed with emotion to see her tomorrow. We didn't believe she had survived.
'We got the kids another dog of the same breed. Now the two dogs will live together with us. It's a miracle from heaven.'
The website dedicated to finding Billy said: 'Our beloved Billy was the heart of the cousins' gatherings at Grandma's house. We love her and miss her dearly.'
The story came to light after the account of Billy's rescue was posted on Facebook.
Hanoch Daum wrote: 'Want to hear a story? A is in the reserves in Gaza.
'A purebred dog came out of the rubble and came to him. He took her and today we checked her and she has a chip.
'She is from Nir Oz. She heard Hebrew and came out. We are trying to call the owner. I pray that someone will bring her back.'
Nir Oz, 400 metres from the Gaza perimeter, was one of the hardest hit communities on Oct 7, with 117 of its 400 residents either kidnapped or killed.
A picture shows Mr Shapira standing in the ruins of Rafah, his face obscured, holding the dog.
The city has now been absorbed into Israel's expanded buffer zone, thought to comprise around one third of the entire Gaza Strip.
At least 11 Palestinians have been killed in the military assault there since Tuesday, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza.
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