Wed Sep 25 01:54:59 UTC 2024: ## Hostages’ Families Keep Hope Alive Amid Stalled Gaza Truce Talks

**Tel Aviv, Israel** – Nearly ten months after the Israel-Hamas war, the families of hostages still held captive in Gaza are clinging to hope for their loved ones’ return. While some hostages were released during a brief truce last November, 97 remain in captivity, including 33 the Israeli military believes to be dead.

The families of those still held, many of whom themselves endured the horrors of captivity, are demanding action from the Israeli government. They have organized weekly protests in Tel Aviv, urging for a truce deal that would secure the release of the remaining hostages.

Aviva Siegel, who was released during the November truce, describes her mental state as being “still in Gaza” with her husband, Keith, who remains captive. “I can’t bear to imagine that he and the other hostages are 40 meters below ground, without air to breathe, without food to eat, without anything nice,” she said.

Raz Ben Ami, who was also released in the truce, is advocating for her husband, Ohad, who is still held in Gaza. “I’m sick of my government that doesn’t do enough to bring back the hostages… sick of this nightmare that takes me back to Gaza every day,” she said.

Bat-Sheva Yahalomi, whose husband Ohad and 12-year-old son Eitan were captured during the Hamas attack, is haunted by the last moments before they were taken. Her son was released during the November truce, but her husband remains in captivity. “What breaks me is hopelessness, the idea that (the hostages) lose hope and don’t think they’ll be rescued,” she said.

Despite the ongoing uncertainty and the agonizing wait, these families continue to hold onto hope, demanding action from the Israeli government to secure the release of their loved ones. The families’ plight serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of the conflict and the urgent need for a resolution.

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