A Father’s Fight for Justice: The Quest for Accountability After Oct. 7

If Oct. 7 hadn’t happened, Roni Eshel would have likely completed her IDF service and enrolled in a culinary school in New York. Eyal Eshel, her father, would have continued enjoying his life as a husband and a father of three, his career and his daily routine. But everything changed that day.

For on Oct. 7, Roni, an observation soldier in the IDF serving with the Border Defense Corps’ 414th unit, was killed. Initially reported as missing, it was only on Nov. 9 that her death was confirmed. Since then, her bereaved father has tirelessly sought answers as to why his 19-year-old daughter had to die, but he has yet to receive any.

“Many times, when Roni visited us at home, she would sit with us and express her concerns, saying that the situation wasn’t good and that no one was listening to the girls — they didn’t take what they said seriously,” Eyal told The Journal. “I used to reassure her, telling her that we have a strong and capable army that would protect us. Many times, I asked her for the phone numbers of her commanders, but she kept asking me not to embarrass her. Now, I torment myself for not insisting on getting those numbers.”

“Many times, when Roni visited us at home, she would sit with us and express her concerns, saying that the situation wasn’t good.” – Eyal Eshel

Roni had been serving in the IDF for 14 months when tragedy struck. However, she saw it coming. She and her fellow lookout soldiers, whose job was monitoring the border, had noticed unusual activities in the months leading up to the attack and reported them to their commanders. Their concerns were largely dismissed, and they were even threatened with court-martial if they continued to raise such “trifles.”

According to Eyal, the commanders were well aware of the threat across the border and purposely didn’t want the observant to speak about it. Three days before Oct. 7, Roni visited her parents in Tzur Yitzhak, in central Israel, and again told them about what she saw at the border — Hamas terrorists preparing to breach the fence. “Dad, they are studying us,” she told him. “They are doing their homework. They know almost all corners of the fence.”

On Oct. 7, at 9:27 a.m., Sharon Eshel, Roni’s mother, received a few texts from her daughter. Roni asked her not to worry, said she was okay and expressed her love.

These texts came three hours after she had witnessed Hamas terrorists running to the fence and breaking it down. “All stations receive, four people are running to the fence, confirm receipt. Two armed people are running at the fence, confirm receipt,” Roni is heard saying in the radio. 

A few moments later, she transmitted another message: “One armed terrorist has crossed [the border], one armed terrorist, confirm receipt.” And then: “The ‘Sand Timer’ fence has exploded. People have blown up the fence, confirm receipt. There is a hole in the fence, two people blew up the fence with a bomb. They are standing next to the hole; they haven’t crossed through it yet.”

In the final broadcast, she said: “Three people are currently standing [inside Israel]. They are armed. Confirm receipt.”

She spoke rapidly but clearly. The scene playing in front of her eyes was what she had been dreading for months. Still, it’s difficult to guess if she actually thought they would take over her base, break into their safe room, kidnap seven surveillance soldiers and murder 16.

For the first month, the Eshel family believed that Roni had been kidnapped to Gaza. It took until Nov. 9 before they were informed by the IDF that she had been killed during the attack. “From the first days of the war, no one from the IDF had called to update us about what was happening. I have met with the Prime Minister, the head of the Shin Bet, the Minister of Defense, but I received no answers. I understood that I needed to conduct the investigation myself in order to understand what happened that Saturday,” the bereaved father said. He established an investigation committee to determine who was responsible for the negligence that allowed Hamas attack on Israel. 

Over the past 11 months, he has visited the U.S., spoken before Congress and at the U.N., met with the mayor of New York City and given lectures in private homes. He has become somewhat of a celebrity. People stop him on the street, offer condolences and ask the questions he himself is still asking: “How did the IDF let it happen?” “Why did it take the IDF so long to come to the rescue?” “Why did nobody listen to the surveillance soldiers’ warnings?”

Even in Los Angeles, he is recognized. A few months ago, while walking on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he was approached by a family on vacation from Canada. They expressed their sorrow for his unimaginable loss. It can be overwhelming, but Eyal takes the time to talk with everyone. He understands that people want to show their support and acknowledge his daughter’s bravery.

Usually, he travels to the U.S. alone, but this month, he came with his wife and two children, 14-year-old Alon and 18-year-old Yael, who is going to enlist in the IDF in two months. They have come for the Nova Festival exhibition, and Eyal is also the guest speaker at Beit Halochem events, where he tells his daughter’s story. He does this not only because he wants to honor Roni and her friends, but also because he wants to make a change in how things are handled.

“Oct. 7 can happen again,” he said. “I’m worried because we haven’t learned anything from what happened. The political and military ranks failed, and this resulted in what happened that Saturday. No one went home and no one was punished. This disregard [of the observant soldiers] started with previous girls who served in the IDF and were ignored as well. This is part of a failed organizational culture that currently exists in the army, and I am very sorry to say this, but that’s the truth — and it’s a painful one.”

Eyal and other bereaved parents demand that an investigation by a state committee be established so that failures can be recognized and corrected. “If we don’t do that, we won’t know how to become a better country,” he said. “In the end, everything boils down to a message that must be passed on to today’s children, to the younger generation that live in this country. Today they are children, but soon enough, they will be soldiers and commanders in the IDF.”