Londoner fears mum, 74, was abducted by militants from home near Gaza border

• Noam Sagi told ITV News London said it was impossible to understand how a 74-year-old woman could be abducted from her house - tap to watch video report by Carolyn Sim

A Londoner who grew up in a kibbutz near the Gaza border fears his 74-year-old mother has been abducted by militants who drilled their way into her home.

Noam Sagi described in disturbing detail how Ada Sagi took shelter in a safe room to protect herself from shelling and rockets.

He said Hamas militants went door-to-door and "killed who they can kill and kidnapped whoever they were able to kidnap and looted and burned the rest".

In one video, taken at the scene, Noam could see militants on the lawn where he once lived.

Noam Sagi, who now lives in Cricklewood in North London, said when the Israeli military arrived at his mother's home they found only blood stains.

He added: "The last contact we had with mum was on Saturday morning, 9:20am Israel time two hours ahead of the UK.

"She was at her home and she was hearing all kinds of shooting and sounds that told her there was something major going on.

"We see in the video footage they are taking mainly the elderly women and young kids through the vineyards to the southern part of the Gaza Strip which is about 400 metres from the kibbutz.

"I believe she is held captive in Gaza... but we don't know."

Noam Sagi said the kibbutz was almost at the epicentre of fighting on Saturday but by late afternoon the Israeli army regained control releasing around 150 people from shelters and safe rooms.

"They have all been evacuated and the kibbutz is under military control at the moment and as of this morning there is still fighting going on," Noam explained.

"There are not many people left so we are talking about territory," he added.

He said he was sure his mum was no longer at the kibbutz in what was a small community of around 350 people.

"They know each other, they live together, they work together, they are very, very tight.

"If my mum was in the kibbutz I would have known by now, she would either be on the dead list, injured list or found.

Noam said it felt like he was living in a parallel world and struggled to understand how a 74-year-old woman could be abducted from her house simply for being a Jew and living in Israel.

He described his mum as the most "kind, loving person you can imagine" and a grandmother-of-six. "It is hard to accept," Noam said.

"I hope she will come back, I have to stay positive. I need to find a way to look at things through a keyhole of what it is we need to do to get her home - to hug her to be with her grandchildren again and not to overthink about possibilities.

"She is a very strong woman who survived so much," she added.

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