"We’re in favor of a hostage deal, at any cost. We must save those who stay alive there and, of course, retrieve the bodies. I can’t understand those who oppose a deal. There’s no room for opposition here," says Dana Or, days after Kibbutz Be'eri officially announced that her brother, Dror Or, was murdered on October 7, and his body is being held by Hamas in Gaza. Dana's son, 18-year-old Liam, was abducted from their home in Kibbutz Re'im and released after 54 days in captivity.
"We are experiencing the worst. We can’t allow this to happen to more families. The State of Israel must protect the residents of communities close to the Gaza border and the entire country," Or stressed. "I’m currently angry and emotionally charged with many issues, but nothing is on my mind except for the fact that the hostages need to come home, at any cost. Right now, I can’t deal with anything else.
"Omer Wenkert, the lovely man who sat with Liam in captivity, urgently needs to come home. He’s sick and needs treatment. And it’s not just him, of course. All the people there, including my best friends, it's time for them to come home,” she added.
After over half a year of hoping, it was announced last week that Dror Or, husband of Yonat and father of 13-year-old Alma and 17-year-old Noam, who were abducted with him, was murdered. Alma and Noam were released from captivity after 50 days.
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Liam Or with his father after his release from captivity
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Yahli, their older brother, wasn’t at home during the attack and survived. Dana and her husband Ramzi were very close to Yonat, a furniture designer, and Dror, who worked at Be’eri’s dairy farm. Liam mourned his uncle on Instagram with a post featuring his picture and the caption "a hero who saved his children."
"The children are shattered," Dana said. "Dror was the most significant person in our family. He didn't have a single enemy. Whoever killed him didn't know him, didn't know his personality. Dror was one of the greatest pillars in my life. He was always there for me. Because of him and thanks to him, I returned to live in Re'im after living in Tel Aviv and never intended to return. He and Yonat were our best friends. We did everything together: festivals, parties, holidays, and trips around the world. They were our partners in everything."
Or recounted that they returned from a joint trip to Germany only a few days before the massacre. "It was an amazing trip with three families, all close friends. For us, it's like a limb has been cut off. I don't know how we can continue from here. Not to mention their kids, whom I love like my own. It will take some time before I start to realize what happened and how to move on after this schism. What's for sure, the most important thing right now is to save the hostages, at any cost."