From the Liveblog of
Sunday, September 15, 2024
Oct. 7 survivor hands letter to UNICEF official urging him to help free hostages, address needs of Israeli children
Sue Surkes is The Times of Israel's environment reporter
UNICEF deputy executive director Ted Chaiban meets with 17-year-old Rotem Matias, whose parents Deborah (Shahar) and Shlomi Matias were murdered in front of him by Hamas gunmen on October 7 at the family home in Kibbutz Holit.
During the meeting in Jerusalem, Rotem handed over a letter on behalf of his uncle, Prof. Aron Troen, and Prof. Hagai Levine, the head of the health team for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
The letter urges UNICEF to uphold the principles of neutrality and impartiality, to take immediate action without discrimination for the release of all hostages, including Kfir and Ariel Bibas, aged nine months and four years, respectively, when they were kidnapped to Gaza on October 7, and to address the needs and human rights of all children, in accordance with UNICEFs mission of protecting all children everywhere.
It emphasizes that UNICEF must acknowledge the vast number of Israeli children suffering from the effects of war since October 7. The letter points out that over three million Israeli children are experiencing direct and indirect trauma as a result of the ongoing conflict.
Deborah Matias, 50, an American-Israeli citizen, and her husband Shlomi, 49, both musicians, were killed as they protected Rotem with their bodies.
Rotem was shot but survived, while his sisters, Shaked and Shir, were hiding out elsewhere and were unharmed.
