Bereaved and hostage families share messages from Oct. 7 in bid to highlight government failures

Ahead of the third anniversary of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack, bereaved family members and other victims are sharing the text messages they received on October 7, 2023, as part of a social media campaign highlighting the government’s failures.

Those participating call on all Israeli citizens to take part, even if they were not directly harmed in the October 7 massacre.

“We are all October 7; we are all victims of the failure, directly or indirectly,” say the families in a statement.

Shir Mathias, the daughter of Shachar and Shlomi Mathias, who were murdered in Kibbutz Holit while their teenage son was saved, shows the exchange from her family WhatsApp group:

“Mom and dad r dead sorry.”

כולנו 710

״אבא ואמא מתים״.
בבוקר הטבח, כך נראתה קבוצת הווטסאפ המשפחתית שלנו.

אני קורא לכל אחת ואחד מכם, גם אם לא נפגעתם ישירות בטבח, לכו אחורה בהתכתבויות שלכם מאותו יום ארור. אנא העלו גם אתם התכתבויות שלכם מהשבעה באוקטובר.#כולנו710 pic.twitter.com/jJqUrJApYD

— שיר מתיאס הבת של שחר ושלומי (@MathiasShir) October 4, 2026

Viki Cohen, mother of former hostage Sgt. First Class Nimrod Cohen, shares the messages she sent after receiving images and videos of Nimrod’s abduction from a tank near the Gaza border, as she tried to reach anyone she can find in the IDF:

“Why isn’t anyone getting back to us?”

Eyal Eshel, father of surveillance soldier Sgt. Roni Eshel who was killed at the Nahal Oz army base, posts the last message received from his daughter:

“Mom, I’m okay, don’t worry about me. I love you too.”

Einav Zangauker, mother of former hostage Matan Zangauker, shares her final exchange with Matan before he was abducted to Gaza:

“They’re speaking Arabic, they’re right by the door. There’s screaming everywhere here. I love you. Don’t cry.”