Eitan Horn, who spent 738 days in captivity, addressed crowds in Hostages Square on Saturday – a few hours after being released from captivity. His comments underscored the severe emotional cost of imprisonment. He expressed profound solidarity with all families who are still waiting for return of their loved one. Onstage, Israel grapples with the overwhelming impact of the recent wars. Horn’s long-awaited return is a highpoint in the multi-fronted, still-on-going battle to get all hostages home safe and sound.
During his speech, Horn articulated a deep sense of loss and urgency, stating, “I cannot begin my journey of healing and recovery as long as I know there are families who are not with me on this journey. We have no future without the return of all the hostages.” As the applause subsided, he added a powerful caveat that echoed the sentiments of the whole room filled with survivors of violence.
On Friday, Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, spoke at the memorial service of retired Adm. Omer Neutra in Israel. Neutra was one of those to recently come back, along with Asaf Hamami and Oz Daniel. Adm. Cooper honored Neutra’s service by saying, “Omer made the ultimate sacrifice we hope no soldier ever has to make, but many have made it nonetheless, in service to a higher cause.”
In a major breakthrough, Israel has been handed the remains of Itay Chen. Beyond the policy significance, this moment brings the painful chapter to an end for the families of Israeli-American dual citizens that were held in Gaza. Hamas has now released the body of Joshua Loitu Mollel. He was a Tanzanian agricultural student, abducted from Kibbutz Nir on the morning of October 7, 2023.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum is organizing this demonstration across Tel Aviv and other cities. Neither have they ceased to lobby for the return of their fallen hostages. Through their advocacy, they hope to bring attention to others missing and presumed dead, like Lt. Hadar Goldin. Israel claims it has recently received intelligence on the whereabouts of Goldin’s remains, which are presumably in Rafah, southern Gaza. INDIA REPORTS It’s reported that no less than 200 Hamas insurgents are presently holed up in underground tunnels in that neighborhood.
Thus, if confirmed, there would be five deceased hostages still known to be remaining in Gaza. Those military operations to find and repatriate these people are still a number one priority of Israeli authorities. The intricacies of upbringing and managing hostage crises persist to plague both families and government leaders as they attempt to traverse this mournful terrain.
