The niece of Israeli hostage Gadi Moses says she is optimistic that a recent Egyptian hostage deal proposal could succeed in bringing her uncle home.
“Although we had all these disappointments, I have to say that every time I hear (there is) a tiny little bit of a chance, I’m optimistic because I know this is the right thing to do,” Efrat Machikawa told ILTV News. “I believe that, at the end of the day, the right thing will be done, and they [the hostages] will be back” in Israel.
100 HOSTAGES
Machikawa admitted that the hostage families are “tired” and “disappointed,” but she said her emotions pale in comparison to what her 80-year-old uncle must be enduring.
“We’re strong enough to wait for them here and to be ready to hug them, to support them, to have their rehabilitation start,” she said.
Moses was kidnapped from his home in Kfar Aza on October 7, along with his partner, her daughter, and her two granddaughters. The women have since been released. However, Moses remains in captivity.
On December 19, 2023, Hamas released a video of Moses. In the video, Machikawa said he already seemed weak. “But I hope that the people who are holding him do see how special he is, how wonderful he is to the world, and maybe that will hold him strong enough to come back. We miss him daily.”
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
She called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring the hostages home, expressing gratitude for the statements made last week by former U.S. President Donald Trump that Hamas will have “hell to pay” if the hostages are not returned by the time he takes office on January 20.
“It is upon our government to make sure they do the right thing, to release them and bring them home, because hugs and sympathy are not enough,” Machikawa said. “We need them physically with us at home. They are the citizens of this state. They belong here.”