Families of Oct 7 Israeli hostages launch effort to document unanswered questions

Forum Tikva – one of the groups representing families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza – announced on Monday the launch of a new project to collect firsthand testimonies from civilians, soldiers, and first responders who experienced the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

The initiative welcomes personal accounts from a wide range of individuals – including emergency personnel to everyday citizens – who witnessed the Hamas-led massacre and assault on southern Israeli communities, which left 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals dead and 251 kidnapped into Gaza.

As Ynet News reported, its goal is to piece together a more complete understanding of how the invasion and killings unfolded. Organizers emphasized that all the testimonies would be treated with care and confidentiality, and anonymity will be respected for anyone who seeks it.

Zvika Mor, a member of Forum Tikva and father of hostage Eitan Mor, highlighted the urgency of the effort.

“After a year and a half of pain and uncertainty, we must understand how this disaster happened,” he said. “These testimonies are vital - not just to bring our loved ones home but to ensure such a tragedy never happens again.”

Talik Gvili, whose son, Israel Police officer Ran Gvili, was killed and whose body remains in Gaza, described the project as “a significant step toward truth and accountability.”

“We urge anyone with information – no matter how minor it seems – to come forward and speak,” she said. “The families need every piece of the puzzle to understand what happened on that terrible day.”

Kobi Samarno's son, IDF soldier Yonatan Samarno, was abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7. He criticized the lack of transparency from Israeli officials, saying, “We have a full right to know exactly what happened that day and how thousands of terrorists stormed into Israel – murdering, raping, burning and kidnapping masses of Israelis.”

“Security forces deliberately withheld information from us, including details that should have been investigated about the last minutes before our children were taken. They even lied, claiming my son was dead, despite evidence to the contrary. That’s why we’ve decided to establish an independent testimony center run by hostage families.”