Families of Israeli hostages: 'They must not be pushed aside' amid war with Iran

Since the beginning of Israel's war with Iran, the issue of the Gaza campaign and the release of the hostages has been pushed out of the center of public and political discourse.

The families of the hostages are crying out and demanding that the government now act decisively to secure the release of their loved ones.

Alon Nimrodi, the father of kidnapped soldier Tamir Nimrodi, whose life is feared to be in danger, addressed the issue.

“It is imperative to bring the hostage issue back to the immediate national agenda. Fifty-three hostages are waiting to be rescued from captivity in Gaza – each one is an entire world that has been neglected and forgotten.”

Nimrodi added: “Fifty-three hostages have not been a national priority – certainly not since the attack on Iran. They must come home today. Israel has a deep and immediate obligation to them – we must bring them all back now.”

Maccabit Mayer, aunt of hostages Gali and Ziv Berman, said during a Zoom meeting of “Shift 101” attended by hundreds: “Even going into a safe room and feeling secure while they are still there comes with guilt. The gap between the fact that no one saved them on that Saturday and the imaginary operations now taking place haunts us. What we need right now is leadership that will end the war in Gaza and bring our loved ones home.”

“It’s all of our responsibility to remember and remind others,” Lishi Miran, wife of hostage Omri Miran, added.

“Even now, when our attention is scattered in all directions, we must not forget that there are still 53 hostages in Gaza. My Omri is one of them – they have been in survival mode for more than 620 days. We cannot push them out of our priorities. It’s our collective responsibility to remember, to remind, and to demand that they return.”

Vicky, the mother of kidnapped soldier Nimrod Cohen, addressed the situation. “It’s time to end this nightmare and bring everyone back in one wave. We are holding on to hope that the move against Iran will enable the prime minister to end the war in Gaza and bring the hostages back. The Gaza War has long since run its course. I’m a mother – I will not give up on my son.”

Itamar Elroy, an activist for the hostages, published a post today in which he wrote: “Nimrod Cohen went to fight on October 7th and was kidnapped from his tank. If a pilot’s plane is shot down over Iran and he is taken captive – will he also be abandoned to his fate?”

Elroy continued, “Yesterday we were informed that Israel struck the Iranian regime’s television studios. Is it reasonable that a country launching a war against a nuclear existential threat would, in the first week of the operation, bomb TV studios (no matter how terrible their content)?”

“Or does this hint that Netanyahu’s government has other goals for this operation that they are not telling us about?”