Three freed hostages call on decision-makers to evoke ‘true Israeli spirit’ of slain captive Ori Danino

Omer Shem Tov, who was released from Hamas captivity in February as part of the Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal, and his good friends Itay and Maya Regev, siblings who were released during the first truce in November 2023, tell the crowd at Hostages Square that slain captive Ori Danino, whom they had all met the night prior to the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023, ran back into the battles at the Nova music festival to save them during the Hamas onslaught.

“He didn’t have to, but he did it. Because that’s what courage looks like,” says Maya Regev. “Ori paid for that choice with the loss of his independence, and after 11 months of harsh captivity, he paid with his life.”

“Ori… symbolized the true Israeli spirit, the spirit that must continue guiding us: we don’t leave anyone behind,” says Itay Regev.

When Maya and Itay were released, “we came back to life, but we couldn’t really go on and tend to ourselves when a massive part of our heart was sitting there waiting to be saved,” says Itay Regev.

“And I stayed behind, feeling abandoned, forgotten,” says Shem Tov. “And even now that the three of us have our liberty, we’re free in body, but not in spirit.”

Maya Regev addresses Israel’s decision-makers: “The power to bring back the captives is in your hands. The responsibility is yours.”