Israeli humanitarian volunteer shares 'unbelievable' violence seen in aftermath of Hamas attack

Warning: Some of the details below may be triggering to readers.

Israeli volunteer Irene Nurith Cohn has witnessed some of the most horrific realities from the Oct. 7. Hamas terror attack and is now speaking out about her experience helping to collect bodies belonging to people who were brutally murdered.

Cohn is in Canada as part of a delegation with Zaka, a humanitarian organization that was on the ground following the attack in Israel.

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She’s among a group of people sharing their experience worldwide, raising awareness to ensure there isn’t any doubt about what transpired during the attack that killed approximately 1,200 Israeli citizens.

“I thank God he gave me the strength to do this because this has been unbelievable what we’ve seen,” she said in an emotional interview with CTV News Toronto on Thursday. “I don’t think the world will ever understand these are my friends. My family and friends.”

Cohn showed CTV News images of people murdered in the attack. Many of the photos taken by one of her colleagues show mutilated bodies.

“We saw bodies, where, you know, women [are] without underwear, blood down the legs, men where they [are] burn[ed] around the genitals. I’ve seen beheaded bodies. I’ve seen a leg here, an arm here.”

Days after the conflict, the 59 year old volunteered to join the effort. A social worker by trade, Cohn is also a scuba diver who specializes in body recovery.

Two or three times a week for three months. she said that she commuted for over an hour, venturing into the area where attendees of an Israeli music festival were killed and kidnapped, as well as affected kibbutzes.

At first, she helped bag bodies. Later, she cleaned the houses of the murdered and collected ashes from people burned in their cars.

She said she was motivated to give the dead a proper burial and give families the closure they need.

This week, Cohn met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, other senior government officials and community groups to share her testimony.

Irene Nurith Cohn is seen with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader PIerre Poilievre in these images. (Supplied)

“Sometimes, when I was in the beginning, I felt, you know, they would call me a hero. I don’t relate to that. I just did what I thought was right,” she said.

“I was the only woman around. Later, another woman joined me, and that was it. There were hundreds of men and only me. And I felt privileged and very, very proud.”

The Oct. 7 terror attack in Israel has led to a prolonged war. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry has said that nearly 32,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result.

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