Four relatives of hostages held a press conference at the Hostage Forum headquarters in Tel Aviv on Monday, urging the government to release all hostages, living and dead.
In tears, Ayelet Goldin, whose brother Hadar Goldin was killed in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge in 2014 and whose body was never returned, pleaded with the government to finally do something for the hostages and Above all, do not choose among the last 100 hostages which ones will have the right to regain their freedom within the framework of a possible agreement.
“It’s been 3,811 days,” Goldin recalled, counting since August 1, 2014, when his brother, an IDF soldier, was shot and kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
To not miss any of the news,
receive the Daily Headline on your email
By registering, you agree to the terms of use
“This is a pivotal moment. Understand that there is only one objective here – Jewish, Israeli, international – which is the release of all the hostages. We must take advantage of this opportunity. Otherwise, the remaining hostages will be the new Ron Arad and Hadar Goldin”, an allusion to his brother and to Arad, an IDF pilot still missing since his capture in Syria in 1986.
Goldin and three other hostage relatives spoke in front of a list of hostages including their names and ages.
Yaron Or, whose son Avinatan Or, 30, was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during the Nova rave on October 7, 2023, spoke to his son to tell him that the government had abandoned him because fathers, young men and soldiers are not priorities in the lists of hostages currently being examined.
“There will be no other agreement,” Or cried. “Either they all come back now, or Hamas will continue to play on our nerves for years, like they are doing with Hadar Goldin and others. »
Romi Gonen, kidnapped by Hamas and detained in Gaza since October 7, 2023, celebrating a previous birthday. (Credit: Courtesy).
Meirav Leshem Gonen, whose daughter Romi Gonen was captured by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023 during the Nova rave, called on the Israeli government and US President-elect Donald Trump to ensure that everything potential hostage deal includes the last 100 hostages still in Gaza’s hands.
Speaking in English at a news conference at the Hostage Forum headquarters in Tel Aviv, Leshem Gonen told Trump: “You are the most powerful leader in the world… Make sure that all hostages are released, from the first to the last. Please don’t abandon any hostages, make sure everyone returns home. »
This press conference follows the publication by a Saudi media outlet of a list of 34 Israeli hostages held in Gaza likely to be released under the first stage of a fading ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
-Israel quickly lit counterfeits by asserting that this list repeated the one provided by it to the mediator countries last July. Hamas also refuses to give the slightest information on the state of health of the hostages, which Israel wishes to collect before continuing negotiations.
Yotam Cohen, twin brother of Nimrod Cohen, an IDF soldier taken hostage and taken to Gaza on October 7, believes that these lists of hostages are reminiscent of Nazi procedures at the time of the Shoah.
“My brother Nimrod and the others are struggling to stay alive. No one has the right to let them suffer like this; we shouldn’t have to choose who will live or who will die,” Cohen said.
“We are all living beings. There is no question about whose life is more important than others,” he added. “All hostages must be released. »
Ayelet Goldin, sister of Hadar Goldin, whose remains have been in the hands of Hamas in Gaza since 2014, speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv on January 6, 2025. (Screenshot: Forum of hostages)
Also on Monday, during a radio interview with conservative host Hugh Hewitt, United States President-elect Donald Trump reiterated warnings to Hamas to persuade it to release hostages held in Gaza.
Asked what he meant by talking about the “price to pay” if the hostages were not released before he took office on January 20, Trump replied: “Exactly what that means, which is that if the hostages are not released by the time I come to power, the price will have to be paid – and it will be high. »
“I don’t need to say more… But I won’t just say ‘Don’t do that,’ you see,” he added, alluding to the US President Joe Biden on October 10, 2023, in a speech promising to support Israel following the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7.
“The price to pay will be very high,” he repeated, “The hostages must be released, they must be released immediately. »
In the same interview, Trump said: “I am with Israel. I think it’s obvious to everyone… I’m also for peace. The hour has come. This fight has been going on for a long time, much longer than we think. »
