Wary of false promises, political maneuvering and dishonest expressions of empathy, families of hostages held by Hamas embarked on a car convoy to the Gaza Strip border on Wednesday, demanding a deal to secure the release of their loved ones still languishing in subterranean tunnels and dusty apartment buildings in Gaza.
“Every day that passes is another lost opportunity to bring them home; it's time to end the abandonment,” declared the Hostages and Missing Families Forum headquarters in a statement. Shira Elbag, mother of the abducted lookout Liri Elbag, said at the march's outset: “We are on the 327th day of this war, 327 days and nights of hearing Liri cry for help, calling ‘Mom,’ and me not being able to come. Can you imagine that feeling, knowing your child is suffering and you’re powerless to help?”
Shira continued, “Yesterday we saw Farhan Alkadi, heard of the torment he endured. Over 11 months, eight hostages have been rescued alive, while 21 were murdered who should have returned. The 108 hostages still there can only be freed through a deal. The prime minister shouldn’t gamble with their lives. Military officials clearly state that conditions for a deal are ripe. Disputes between military and political levels don’t matter; there’s a covenant between the state and its citizens to leave no wounded behind. Mutual responsibility, redemption of captives. Where are you, government members? Mr. President?"
“What will be inscribed in the pages of history isn’t whether we conquered the Philadelphi Corridor or how many terrorists were killed, but whether we brought our hostages home. This will weigh on your conscience, a wound that won’t heal. Sorry Liri, hold on just a bit longer, Mom is coming for you and she will never give up," Shira said.
Hagit Chen, whose son Itay’s body is held in Gaza, remembered her so and called for his return. “My Itay, I miss you so much and can’t fathom the situation we find ourselves in. When you decided to join the army and become a fighter, I didn’t foresee the dreadful state it would bring us to. You said, ‘Mom, don’t worry,’ you believed in the system. I wanted you to come home and fulfill your dreams. What did you manage to achieve in this life? I ache for your absence in ways I never knew were possible. I’m sorry the Israeli government thinks the Philadelphi Corridor is more important than you and 108 other hostages. How can they tell us false promises day after day?
“The prime minister has a majority in the government to pass a deal, a majority in the Knesset, a political safety net. The only thing preventing a deal is the Philadelphi Corridor. Seven months of fighting and the IDF hasn’t been there. It’s time for the hostages. A month and three days ago, we sat with U.S. President Joe Biden and Netanyahu, who gave his word that a deal was imminent. I was sure it was a matter of days. The time ran out long ago. Where is the deal to bring Itay back? How can it be that the U.S. president is more determined for a deal than the prime minister of Israel, who bears responsibility for the October 7 disaster? Itay, I’m not giving up on you; I hope for a miracle that you might return to me.”
Itay's father, Rubi, added: “We, the parents, after seeing the current round of talks ending without result, are compelled to wage a battle and embark on a journey to Gaza, to remind the Israeli government to fulfill its moral, ethical and Jewish duty, so we can bring our Itay to burial in Israel.”
Ziv Abud, partner of Eliya Cohen, declared: “I stand here with a clear message to the people of Israel and our leaders: it’s time for a deal. In these nerve-wracking days, I ask myself if the mediators are more determined than us? This question should burden us all. So far, military actions have rescued 8 hostages alive. In the last deal, 105 were released. I ask our leaders to consider – do you understand that every delay in a deal is a gamble on the hostages’ lives? We must not leave anyone behind; we’ve learned there’s no greater joy than a freed hostage. Every such rescue brings a beacon of hope, proving the impossible can be achieved.”
With tears, Ziv said, “we will go to the Gaza border to apologize. Eliya, I’m sorry, my love, I’m doing everything. This year is cursed, and I hope the Israeli government hasn’t given up on you in captivity. I’m not giving up; I’m with you, hold on, you’ll be home soon.”