Rom Braslavski, one of the last 20 living hostages who returned on October 13 as part of the Gaza ceasefire, makes an impromptu speech at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv.
“My heart is pounding,” he says. “I can’t believe I’m in the place that I used to see on television in Gaza and say, ‘it’s my dream to get there.'”
He thanks the audience for fighting for him, and pays tribute to the troops “who went into Gaza knowing they might die, so that I can live.”
He also expresses regret to the families of hostages held before the current Gaza war — including IDF navigator Ron Arad, who went missing in Lebanon in 1986 — “and all those who were forgotten and whom nobody rescued for years on end.”
“It’s time to save everyone left behind in Gaza,” he says. “Even if it takes 20-30 years, we’ll keep fighting for everyone.”
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From the Liveblog of
Saturday, November 8, 2025
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