His mother murdered by terrorists and father a hostage in Gaza, Almog Levy turns 3
Toddler said to keep asking when he will see parents Or and Eynav, became fascinated by a picture of a doll that reminded him of his mother
Almog Levy, whose mother was murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7 and whose father was taken as a hostage to Gaza the same day, on Tuesday marked his third birthday.
Relatives told the media that the toddler misses his parents, father Or Levy and mother Eynav Levy, and keeps asking when he will see them.
Speaking to the Kan public broadcaster, his paternal grandmother Geula said Almog is being taken care of by his immediate family, grandparents, uncles and aunts.
“That is really not the same thing. There is nothing like his father. The chance that Or will come back is the only chance for him to have a family.”
She said that Almog had a party at his kindergarten and his maternal grandparents celebrated with him on Sunday.
“You can’t stop things if he is to grow up as a regular kid,” Geula said. “His parents disappeared, he is still waiting for them. He says ‘I miss Mom and Dad, I want Mom and Dad.'”
Geula said that Almog was given a book that on one page shows a ginger-haired doll that reminded the toddler of his mother.
“He didn’t want to turn the page,” she said. When her son, Almog’s uncle, asked him if he should buy him a doll like the one in the book, the child replied “Will she also pick me up?”
On Monday, Or’s brother, Michael Levy, spoke to Channel 13 telling the station that Almog’s situation is “heartbreaking.”
“He keeps asking about [Or] and Eynav and wants to meet them, and we don’t have anything to say to him.
“There is no way to tell something like that to such a young child. He just wants mom and dad to celebrate the birthday with him, but regretfully, that won’t happen,” he said.
Michael Levy spoke to the media after families of hostages published a new video clip showing the moments when Or Levy and two others, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, and Eliya Cohen, were abducted by terrorists. The families and the Hostages Forum support group said they released the video to prompt the government to reach a deal with Hamas to release all the hostages.
Or Levy and his wife Eynav Levy were attending the ill-fated Supernova music festival close to the border with the Gaza Strip when Palestinian terror group Hamas led a massive attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The 3,000 terrorists who burst into the country also took 251 people hostage to Gaza.
As the attack unfolded, the couple sought safety in a public field shelter where some 30 others had crowded into a space intended for 10, among them Goldberg-Polin and Cohen.
As the thousands of terrorists overran communities and areas they slaughtered 364 people at the music festival while also carrying out acts of sexual violence and torture.
Gunmen who arrived at the field shelter began throwing grenades inside, killing many.
Eynav Levy was killed in the terrorist attack at the shelter, while Or Levy, who apparently saw his wife being killed, was taken to Gaza as a hostage.
The footage released on Monday showed Levy, Goldberg-Polin and Cohen, injured and bleeding, being dragged into a pick-up truck that then drove to Gaza.
