Several gather for small rally for hostages in Gaza at southern junction

Several people gather in person for a rally at the Shaar Hanegev intersection in southern Israel, following IDF Home Front Command directives in which there can be no public gatherings during the ongoing situation with Iran.

About one thousand people join a larger virtual Zoom, lighting torches in memory of the two hostages whose bodies were recovered this week from Gaza, and are joined by Lishay Miran Lavi, wife of hostage Omri Miran, Liran Berman, brother of twins Gali and Ziv Berman, and Noam Katz Rudaeff, daughter of Lior Rudaeff, who was killed and his body taken hostage.

The hostages’ families remark that it is more difficult now to keep the hostages at the heart of the public agenda.

This past weekend was turbulent for all of us in the State of Israel,” says Miran Lavi. “It emphasized to me how much Roni and Alma’s father is missed, and how at every single moment we need him, they need him.”

Liran Berman says that these are not easy days, as Israel is surrounded by threats from the outside, but even with the major, dramatic and historic war taking place, the hearts of the hostage families don’t stop worrying.

“Today more than ever, it’s difficult to keep the hostages at the heart of the public agenda,” says Noam Katz Rudaeff. “The screens are filled with headlines — but we barely see their faces there. We barely hear their names. Some are deteriorating. Some are disappearing.”

All three hostage family members call to bring the hostages home.