Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
Ayelet Samerano speaks in Hostages Square, Tel Aviv, May 12, 2025 (Paulina Patimer / Hostages Families Forum)
Ayelet Samerano, mother of Yonatan Samerano, whose body was taken hostage on October 7, 2023, to Gaza, tells Army Radio that world leaders she has met with are much more supportive of Israel and critical of Hamas in private than their public positions.
“It’s all about money or power,” says Samerano, who has spent the last 20 months meeting with public figures about the fate of her son, who was dragged into Gaza by an employee of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, and whose death has never been fully confirmed.
Yonatan Samerano was killed on October 7, 2023 and his body taken hostage by Hamas terrorists (Courtesy)
She says today would be her son’s 23rd birthday. The family will mark the occasion with a party tonight at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square full of music and dancing, as her son, a DJ, would have organized himself, Samerano says.
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From the Liveblog of
Thursday, June 5, 2025
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