Survivor of October 7 Hamas attack shares story at Lewis and Clark High School

SPOKANE, Wash. -- A man who survived the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel told his story at Lewis and Clark High School on Thursday evening.

Gal Cohel-Salal and his family hid in a makeshift panic room while truckloads of Hamas terrorists overtook his neighborhood, house by house.

"It's very hard to talk about it, honestly every time again and again, it's very hard," said Cohen-Salal.

He and his wife covered their frightened children's mouths in an attempt to remain silent and hidden from the terrorists.

"At the point when they arrived at our house, I was 100 percent sure that I was going to die," said Cohen-Salal.

He and his family hid for hours until the terrorists moved on.

When he and his family emerged from the panic room, they saw the atrocities of the attack first-hand.

He saw an apartment building where a group of girls tried to hide during the attack.

"They were raped by groups of Hamas," said Cohen Salal, relaying what community members told him. "They said that they heard screaming for hours. And suddenly it was silent."

The building was later burned down by the terrorists.

During the presentation at Lewis and Clark, Cohen Salal showed a crowd of nearly 100 attendees images from the site of the horrific attack.

He ended with a photo of his children.

"My soul has too many scars on it that won't heal," said Cohen-Salal. " I really hope the scars that are on my kids souls will heal. It's only about them, smiling and laughing."

So far, Cohen Salal has shared his story with 200 communities, including college campuses.

He said he is aware of how contentious the Israel-Palestine conflict is, and he hopes his story can be a reminder of the horrors and loss many have had to endure.

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