Families of Gaza hostages beg for medical attention, say government forsaking them
Relatives detail urgent medical needs of missing kids, sick and elderly; head of Families Forum says he met Red Cross officials who said they’ve ‘never seen anything like this’
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
A spokesman for the families of missing Israelis and foreigners feared to be held by Palestinian terror groups in Gaza slammed the government Saturday for abandoning the hostages after its representative said Israel would presently not engage in prisoner swap negotiations.
Ronen Tzur, head of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, said at a press conference in Tel Aviv that by refusing to negotiate with enemies who want to destroy Israel — as stated earlier Saturday by National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi — the government is, in effect, abandoning the captives.
Tzur said the families were awaiting a clarification of Hanegbi’s statement.
Family members spoke about the need to ensure medical attention is provided to their loved ones being held captive in Gaza after Hamas’s horrific October 7 onslaught.
There are thought to be 150-200 hostages being held by Gaza terror groups.
Speakers at the press conference, including Dr. Hagai Levine and diplomat Eviatar Manor, demanded a response from the government and the Red Cross within the next few hours.
Both Levine and Manor emphasized the need to offer immediate medical attention to the captives.
Lee Dan spoke about her four family members taken captive, including her Aunt Carmela — who is 80, with cognitive issues and a hearing aid — and her young cousin, Noya, 12, who is autistic and sensitive to noise and crowded spaces.
“Noya, I worry about her emotional state,” said Dan, weeping. “She’s there with so many people she doesn’t know around her, she’s 12.”
Oshrat Hershkovitz’s aunt and uncle, Noah and Maayan Hershkovitz, and Maayan’s mother, aged 85, were taken captive from Be’eri during Hamas’s massacre of over 100 of the kibbutz’s civilians.
Noah Hershkovitz is recovering from significant surgery and was taking many medications, and Maayan Hershkovitz is a breast cancer patient, similarly lacking her medications. Maayan’s elderly mother has Parkinson’s and dementia.
“Citizens are not part of this war,” said Oshrat Hershkovitz.
Tamar Gutman, taken captive from the Supernova desert rave, has Crohn’s disease, said her sister, Adva Gutman Tirosh, and could die without her medications and regular treatment.
Next to her was Yifat Zeiler, whose cousin, Shiri Bibas, was abducted with her two young children, Ariel (4 years old) and Kfir (9 months old).
“My cousin and I gave birth two months apart,” said Zeiler. “Every night, I put my baby to bed thinking about Kfir being held captive underground somewhere. I don’t know if he has formula, he doesn’t eat food yet.”
The last speaker was Tom Louk, the cousin of Shani Louk, a young Israeli-German woman taken captive from the Supernova music festival, and who was identified in a Hamas video, lying naked and unconscious in the back of a pickup truck.
“We have information that she’s alive and suffers from a severe head injury,” said Louk. “We’re asking the army for any information about what they’re planning in bombing Gaza, knowing so many of our people are there.”
Dr. Levine is heading the medical team for the families, including making contact with the Red Cross. Levine said that he and representatives of five families whose loved ones were taken captive met with the Red Cross Friday.
“They said they’ve never seen anything like this, elderly captives with dementia and babies, without treatment or care,” said Levine.
Manor, a former foreign diplomat, called upon the international committee of the Red Cross to demand access to all those abducted by Hamas, given that the international medical organization was established to deal with this kind of humanitarian condition.
“The distances are small, so we can, today, now, provide the necessary medical assistance,” he said. “It’s essential that it’s done now, tonight, immediately.”
