Man whose parents were slain by Hamas calls for hostages to be returned ‘as quickly as possible’

Omer Waiss, whose parents Yehudit and Shmuel Waiss were both slain by Hamas, says the mistreatment of Israeli hostages held in Gaza by the terror group means they need to be brought home “as quickly as possible” to ensure their well-being.

“We are very worried, we know time is against the hostages because neither the Red Cross nor anyone else is taking care of them, no one is seeing them, they’re not getting enough food, they’re not being treated properly, there are elderly people there and they’re not getting what they need, they don’t see the light of day,” says Waiss.

He describes Hamas as “despicable monsters” and “sub-humans” for the crimes they committed on October 7 and against the hostages, describing the weeks since then as “one long nightmare.”

Waiss’s father Shmuel was murdered on October 7 and his mother Yehudit was taken captive. Waiss says the family believes Yehudit was taken alive, but her body was discovered during the IDF ground invasion close to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

“It is impossible come to terms with the fact that I am now an orphan, that I will never see my parents again or friends that I love.”