Family members of hostages have expressed fears for the 53 hostages being held in Gaza after IAF airstrikes against Iran early Friday, which led to a significant Iranian response and the shifting of public attention from the war in Gaza.
Lishay Miran-Lavi, whose husband, Omri, is a hostage in Gaza, on Friday said her young daughter had asked her, “Is there a shelter in Gaza for Dad?”
“I am praying and hoping for the safe return of the heroes of Israel – those protecting us day and night from the Iranian threat, and those like Omri, waiting for the redemption of release from Hamas captivity,” she wrote on X/Twitter.
Liran Berman, whose brothers Gali and Ziv are held captive in Gaza, spoke Saturday night at a Zoom rally, which was held instead of the usual rallies held for the hostages across the country on Saturday night because gatherings were not permitted due to the security situation.
“Even when there are other fronts, even when there are big, dramatic, and probably historic wars, our heart does not stop worrying... Even in the moments of national mobilization, we must not forget the mission that has not yet been completed – bringing the hostages home,” he said.
Hostage worried about loved ones amid Iranian attack
“We are not trying to weaken,” Berman said. “We are not trying to stop [the operation, but rather] only to remember that in parallel to any other front, there is also the internal front, the heart of the nation, and to hope with us, even in this moment, for the safe return home of all Israelis wherever they may be.”
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is still held by Hamas, wrote on X : “I am in the safe room with the girls, but my Matan is not here. Matan who is mine, who is ours, is held alive in Hamas captivity.”
“Don’t forget my Matan, our Matan,” she wrote. “Don’t’ forget the hostages who are alive and dead. Don’t forget their families.”
Danny Elgarat, whose brother Itzik died in Hamas captivity, on Saturday wrote on X: “The Iranian [nuclear program] is a threat, but the loss of the value of human life is an existential threat.”
“When the state forgets its duty to its citizens, when it sacrifices living hostages for propaganda, when it turns its back on 53 souls crying out in the darkness, the biggest threat is no longer from Iran,” he wrote. “It’s here, among us, in the apathy, the abandonment, the silence... It’s not only the leadership that forgot, it’s also the media that decided to ignore [the hostages].”
Gil Dickmann, whose cousin Carmel Gat was murdered in Hamas captivity, on Friday wrote on social media: “I hope the hostages are safe. They don’t have sirens.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum on Sunday wrote: “Even now, we must not forget – there is no mission more urgent than bringing back all the hostages. Until this mission is completed, there will be no full national recovery.”
While large protests for the hostages have not continued due to security concerns and a prohibition on gatherings, individuals have continued to protest.
Protesters held signs with the faces of the hostages outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with some taking shifts to replace protesters removed by security forces.
“Netanyahu went to war in Iran without finishing the war in Gaza, which turned into a secondary front, and without bringing the hostages home,” a protester outside the Prime Minister’s Residence said Sunday. “This is further proof that Netanyahu is playing with human life because of political considerations, and that his decisions are not made based on security considerations alone but on a need to preserve his government.”
Several protesters stood outside the home of Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat (Likud) with a poster of the hostages still in Gaza. Others stood at junctions or marched through their cities in an effort to bring attention to the hostages.