80-year-old Zvi (Heshi) Rubin, a founding member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, in the Gaza surrounding region, who survived the October 7th, passed away over the weekend. Rubin was rescued from his burning house on October 7th, after hiding, among other places, in the corner between the wall of his house and warehouse for eight hours. "They didn't kill him that day, but since the massacre his condition has only worsened," said his son Uri Rubin. He left behind four children and 11 grandchildren. On Shabbat Simchat Torah Rubin was in his home with his wife Tzipa, his granddaughter Rotem and her husband, who serves in the IDF as a combat engineering officer. The family members locked themselves in the safe room for six hours, until the terrorists broke into their house. The terrorists set fire to the house and because of the immense heat and smoke that penetrated the safe room, they escaped out the window and saved their lives by hiding near the warehouse. "We had a choice to either die or increase our chances of living outside," says Uri, in a conversation with Ynet. "His granddaughter and her husband jumped out, during terrorist gunfire, and they took out our father and mother. Together they hid for two hours. The rescue teams only came when there were no more terrorists in the kibbutz. Our parents were evacuated to Modi'in, where one of my sisters lives." According to Rubin, "I can clearly say that my father’s death was caused by the terrorist attack. This was the trigger that caused his condition to deteriorate. Until that Saturday he was generally healthy. He exercised, he was fully functional, certainly physically. This attack pulled him down. They did not kill him, but they finished him off. His condition deteriorated, he was exhausted, haunted by fears and trauma."
