Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
Omri Miran (center) from Kibbutz Nir Oz, with his wife Lishay (left) and daughter Roni; Omri was taken captive by Hamas terrorists to Gaza on October 7, 2023 (Noa Sharvit/Courtesy)
Lishay Miran Lavi, whose husband Omri Miran is held captive in Gaza, notes he has managed to survive for 529 days since being taken hostage but expresses concern that Israel’s resumption of airstrikes puts his life at risk.
“It could be that after today, when IDF strikes hit Gaza at 3 in the morning, that I should prepare to sit shiva,” says Miran Lavi at the Knesset. “It could be that that is the situation, and the government of Israel and the public need to understand that.”
Lishay Miran Lavi (center) at the Knesset on March 18, 2025 (Hostages Families Forum)
Dani Elgarat, whose brother Itzik Elgarat was killed in captivity, charges that by ending the ceasefire, the government is “going to destroy” the remaining hostages.
“The government has decided that the fate of the hostages will be like the fate of Hamas terrorists,” says Elgarat. “They are going to destroy them there.”
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel