Sebastian, the son of Adrian Marcelo Podsmesser, who was murdered on Sunday morning, in the terrorist attack at the Allenby Crossing,told Ynet about the excruciating moments when he received the news that his father had been mortally wounded and later died.
"My sister told me to go to the hospital, because our father had been evacuated by helicopter. As soon as I heard 'helicopter,' I understood that this was a serious situation. Then they told me that I didn't even need to go to the hospital, but I should go home and wait. That’s when I already understood what had happened," said Sebastian.
He also described the way his father supported him after he survived the massacre at the Nova Festival on October 7th. "My Dad supported and encouraged me throughout all the months after the October 7th attack. He was always there for me and helped me. He is truly an amazing man. The pain is unbearable. I still can't believe what happened."
"Dad, Papito, was a guy with a huge heart. He taught me how to be a person with good intentions. He taught me how to live life without calculating each step. My father loved his children very much and took care of them. He would make us laugh and raise all our spirits," he concluded.
Yochanan Shchori, 61, who was murdered in the terrorist attack, was married and had six children. He lived in Ma'ale Efraim for almost 30 years and had been a member of the city council from 2013. Shchori worked as a cargo foreman at the Allenby terminal.
Shchori, who volunteered for many years in the Civil Guard, was also recruited immediately upon the outbreak of the war on October 7th to the local first response team, "He did everything that was needed out of a sense of mission and commitment to the security of the city residents," said members of the Ma'ale Efraim local council, "We are pained by the murder of our dear friend and share in the family’s grief."
The third victim, Yuri Birnbaum, 65, was a resident of Kibbutz Na’ama, and worked at the Allenby Crossing terminal. He immigrated to Israel from Russia in the 1990s, was the father of three children, and his wife died of cancer about a decade ago.
The three were murdered when a truck driver who came from Jordan, got out of his truck at the Israel-Jordan border crossing and opened fire at close range, using a gun he had hidden. The terrorist was eliminated by the security guards.