I think this falls into the 'if only' category:

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian gunmen briefly seized the parents of slain U.S. activist Rachel Corrie as they visited the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, but relented after being confronted by a member of the security forces, witnesses said.

They said Craig and Cindy Corrie, whose daughter was fatally run down by an Israeli bulldozer as she tried to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home in 2003, were at the home of a friend in the Gaza town of Rafah when it was stormed by gunmen.

The gunmen appeared set on kidnapping the two Americans, the witnesses said. Gaza has seen a rash of foreigner abductions since Israel withdrew from the territory in September after 38 years of occupation.

But a local security officer intervened and the gunmen beat a retreat.

"A neighbor known to be a member of the security forces told the gunmen to leave," a witness said.

Neither the Corries, who are from Olympia, Washington, nor their host, Samir Nasrallah, could immediately be reached for comment.

A few days earlier and they could have shared a room with the Burtons.