‘I just broke his heart’: Lexington 10-year-old mourning father after Israel attacks
A Lexington 10-year-old boy is mourning the death of his father who was killed in Israel.
The child’s mother, Liat Wachs, told Boston 25 News that the most difficult part of the loss was telling her son about it.
53-year-old Igal Wachs and his younger brother 48 year old Amit Wachs, both duel Israeli-American citizens, were killed when gunmen stormed their village of Netiv HaAsara.
The two were members of the village’s security team and lost their lives trying to defend their community.
“They tried to protect the people, and they didn’t have a chance,” said Liat Wachs. “I want him to be remembered with his big smile and good heart.”
The Wachs moved to the United States eight years ago and eventually settled down in Lexington.
Igal moved back to Israel after the couple separated.
The couple was still legally married in America but had obtained a divorce in rabbinical court several months ago.
“He had a great sense of sense, and he was very well-liked by many people,” she said. “My heart is bleeding.”
She and her son are still processing the magnitude of the grief just days before the child’s 11th birthday.
“How can I explain something like that? I just broke his heart into very little, little pieces,” explained Wachs. “He lost an amazing father, and he’s devastated.”
Wachs is also grappling with the pain of knowing that the village where she spent most of her life was ravaged in Saturday’s surprise attacks.
She said her close friend was executed after hiding out for 60 hours and others she knows from her childhood are still missing.
“For me, it’s a Holocaust,” she said. “It might take generations to recover from what we experienced.”
Igal Wachs and Amit Wachs are among at least 22 Americans who have been killed in Israel.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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