In the context of the anniversary of the agreement which allowed the release of 80 hostages held by Hamas, Israeli President Isaac Herzog organized an official ceremony this Sunday, describing the current situation as a “critical point”.
“Every day without their return is our failure,” the president said, stressing that failure to release them would leave “a gaping wound” in Israeli society.
The event also gave voice to former freed hostages. Gabriela Leimberg, 59, ex-hostage of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, shared her harrowing experience: “For 53 days, only one conviction sustained me – our commitment to leave no one behind.”
The particularly moving testimony of Danielle Aloni, released with her daughter Emilia, highlighted the issue of sexual violence committed by Hamas, denouncing the dramatic conditions of captivity for women.
Varda Shaabi Raz, whose husband Ohad remains detained in Gaza, expressed frustration with the lack of government communication: “I'm not a politician – I'm just a woman who wants to find her husband and the father of her daughters.”
This commemoration comes in a context of stalled negotiations, while 101 hostages still remain in the hands of Hamas. The families are urging the government to step up its efforts to secure their release. On Saturday, Hamas released a video attesting to the death of a hostage. The IDF is continuing its investigation to determine the veracity of this information.
