‘136 coffins are not what victory looks like,’ relative of hostage in Gaza says at Caesarea protest

Speaking near the private residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Caesarea, Mor Shoham says that “136 coffins are not an image of victory.”

Shoham, whose brother Tal was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7 from Kibbutz Be’eri, is speaking at a rally that is occurring simultaneously with the weekly rally in Tel Aviv for the return of 136 people believed to be held hostages in Gaza, 132 of then taken on October 7.

Hamas is also holding the bodies of fallen IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin since 2014, as well as two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who are both thought to be alive after entering the Strip of their own accord in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

“As we stand here, women are being abused, all hostages are without food and daylight. I want to ask the war cabinet: What are you waiting for? We demand to know your plan,” says Mor Shoham.

Chen Goldstein-Almog, who was abducted to Gaza on October from Kibbutz Kfar Aza 7 and was returned with her children during a weeklong ceasefire and prisoner swap in late November, speaks about the plight of women in captivity.

They are “injured emotionally and physically,” says Goldstein-Almog at the Tel Aviv rally. “I keep asking myself whether we’re doing enough to bring them back,” she says. Hamas is believed to be holding 14 female hostages.

Goldstein-Almog’s husband and eldest daughter, Yam, 20, were murdered on October 7.

Hagit Pe’er, the head of the Na’amat women’s rights groups, calls for an agreement with Hamas and condemns international women’s groups for not speaking up against acts of rape and sexual violence against women by Hamas terrorists on October 7, and possibly after.

“It’s me too, unless you’re a Jew,” says Pe’er.