For Jonathan Dekel-Chen, this week has been a mixture of pleasure and unhappiness on daily basis. He’s celebrating the return of his son Sagui, who was launched over the weekend as a part of a ceasefire settlement with Hamas. Nonetheless, paying homage to Sagui’s ordeal and the struggling of the remaining hostages is inconceivable to flee.
“Right this moment is a day with very difficult feelings,” Dekel Chen mentioned in an interview Thursday.
He simply visited his son at a Tel Aviv space hospital on the day Hamas turned the co, which allegedly contained the our bodies of 4 neighbors of Kibbutz Neil Ozs 4 Dekel Chen. It was. He was killed or taken hostage on October 7, 2023.
It has been 504 days for the reason that Hamas-led assault, and about 60 hostages have but to come back residence. “We now have to double down by bringing all of the hostages residence,” Dekel Chen mentioned. The 4 our bodies returned Thursday are mentioned to incorporate three members, Ariel Bibas, who was solely 10 months previous, and 4 Kfir Bibas and mom Shiri Bibas. Vivaze’s video of her being transported to Gaza has been circulated by phrase of mouth.
However early on Friday, Israeli forces introduced that the ruins of what’s mentioned to be Vivas’ co-site didn’t match the hostage identification. “This can be a violation of the best severity,” the army mentioned.
Authorities say the stays of a kid who was 83 years previous when he was captured and killed by the extremist group Palestinian-Islamic Jihad, and the stays of Audoded Lifeschitz, based on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace. I’ve checked.
Lifshitz, a retired journalist, was captured alongside together with his spouse, Yokebed Lifshitz.
She explains abuse and distress within the underground tunnels of Hamas, with others warnings Hostages can’t stand them.
Earlier than the warfare, Lifshitz volunteered to drive Gazas to Israeli hospitals for therapy and was a founding member of the Peace Department, a bunch advocating for 2 state options to the Israeli-Palestinian battle. Dekel-Chen, who had been buddies with Lifshitz for many years, mentioned he was “a person who is admittedly dedicated to his values.”
1000’s of Israelis paid tribute to Lifshitz and the opposite hostages at a rally on Thursday night time, which grew to become often called the Hostage Sq. in Tel Aviv. They have been additionally there to stress the Israeli authorities to safe the discharge of these nonetheless held.
The rally speaker demanded that the Netanyahu authorities not collapse the ceasefire. The primary part of the Israeli- Hamas settlement comes into impact in January and is predicted to finish inside two weeks. Negotiations for the second part are delayed, leaving the destiny of dozens of prisoners within the air.
The delicate ceasefire led to the discharge of hostages from Gaza in trade for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, however issues amongst hostage family that there is probably not one other spherical of launch. there’s.
Yael Adar, whose son Tamil Adar was killed in an assault on Kibbutz Nir Ozand whose physique has not been returned from Gaza, spoke on the rally on Thursday. She mentioned when Tamil’s son heard that his physique could be returned to Israel this week, his father requested if he would return residence.
“We informed him no, however it wasn’t at this stage. The ASAF did not perceive why there was a stage,” she mentioned.
Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned six reside hostages can be launched on Saturday, not as deliberate, as a substitute of three, and 4 extra our bodies can be returned subsequent week.
However family are apprehensive.
Hamas’ failure to return Mr. Vivas raises new questions in regards to the destiny of talks within the second part of the ceasefire deal, whether or not the following launch of hostages and prisoners will progress on Saturday.
If negotiations within the second part fail, some are believed to have round 60 hostages lifeless, and they’ll doubtless stay in Gaza. And if the battle resumes, the dwelling can be in even larger hazard.
A rally was held at Hostage Sq. on Monday to commemorate the five hundredth day prisoners of warfare on Gaza.
Among the many audio system was Ela David, sister of Eviyatar David, who was filmed from the Nova Music Competition within the assault on October seventh. “Section 2 is the final likelihood to save lots of dozens of lives,” she mentioned. “If this transaction falls aside and Section 2 doesn’t start, our historical past pages will stay black stains.”
The launched hostage says they cannot afford it.
Keith Siegel’s spouse drove by the spot at a Monday rally at Hostage Sq.. Mr. Siegel befell in Gaza almost 500 days, and 6 months have been spent alone locking himself in a small room. He was crushed, threatened with a muzzle, and lowered to “nothing” by his prisoner, within the phrases of his spouse, Aviva.
He ate solely moldy pita bread, misplaced 65 kilos, and thought he wouldn’t survive for just a few days, Siegel first defined the small print of her husband’s expertise.
“He went by 484 days of hell,” mentioned Siegel, who was held hostage. She was launched throughout a brief truce in November 2023. “I used to be in Gaza. I survived. Keith survived. Nobody else would,” Siegel warned.
This was a recurring theme by different former prisoners, together with 46-year-old Iair Horn, who was launched on Saturday together with two different hostages in trade for 369 Palestinian prisoners.
He appeared in a video message at a rally on Monday, recorded about 48 hours after returning to Israel, pleading his brother Eitan Horn.
“I used to be there. I used to be within the tunnel in Hamas. I skilled it firsthand,” Iair Horn mentioned. “And I am telling you, hostages do not have time. They’ve to come back again now.”
Since his return, he mentioned, individuals have saved asking what he wants. “I reply them, I solely want one factor: convey my brother again. I convey my brother again and all of the hostages.”
