Earlier Sunday evening (October 13th), the Hostages Families Forum held an event marking one year since October 7th. The gathering brought together families of hostages, ambassadors, business leaders, and representatives from international advocacy organizations. The event aimed to raise global awareness and reinforce the urgent need for action to secure the release of those still held captive.
Aviva Siegel, Hamas captivity survivor, released after 51 days, wife of Keith Siegel told gathering:
“Can you imagine your husband being tortured and being hit and beaten up and you have to keep quiet? And you can’t hug him. And you can’t do anything for him. Can you imagine? A young girl that has never been touched. That a Hamas terrorist just feels like touching her. And that’s what he does. And when she comes back, you’re not allowed to touch her, hug her, help her. All you can do is look in her eyes.
I was there. For 51 days. And I was in hell and Keith, my husband, and the girls and all the hostages are still there. and I want to tell you that after the six hostages came back dead, a little bit more than a month ago, I ask – is that not enough to wake up the world? I nearly died underneath the ground. One more day and I would have been dead. I would not have been standing here. Please take my words and help me bring Keith and everyone back. We should not allow any human being in the world to go through what Keith and the hostages are going through.”
Luis Har, Hamas captivity survivor, rescued after 129 days in captivity narrated the horror:
“I want to first thank the IDF forces, thanks to whom I am here, standing and speaking with you. I owe them my life, which they gave me as a gift. I want to thank the Argentinian government and the President of Argentina, Milei, for the immense support he has provided us from the very beginning. Over the last month, Clara and I have been on a journey across South America, and the warmth we received was unbelievable. We were surrounded by love and felt at home again. Five members of our family were kidnapped to Gaza, including myself, and now we are here, in Israel. We are the proof that it is possible. It is possible to bring back the 101 hostages home. We need to fight together to succeed, regardless of religion or race. We, the people of Israel, must be united and work together to bring everyone back. We must not lose hope.”
Orly Gilboa, mother of Daniela Gilboa telling her plight said:
“Out of the 101 hostages, there are 13 women still in Gaza, 10 of which we believe and hope are alive and we can just pray for their well-being. 10 women who live in constant fear, and abuse, held there against international law. Not the UN, not the Red Cross, not any of the dozens of women & human rights organizations have been able to visit, check on them, give medical checks, or just simply provide us with basic information. None of them could, most of them did not even try.
For a year now my tiny one-and-a-half meter tall girl has been held hostage by Hamas. I will not let her be forgotten, I will not rest until she is back home in my arms. I ask for your help, the international community, to bring her and the other 100 hostages, women, men, elderly, and two young children, back here, back to where they belong. I do not need your pity, I do not need your thoughts and prayers, I am asking for your immediate actions to save my Daniela and so many more. I am asking you to do what leaders are supposed to do – demand, negotiate. Do what you would have done to save your own child and do the right thing.”
Stephanie Hallett, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy while speaking on the occasion said: “Over this year, we have commemorated far too many birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays without these loved ones where they belong. And too many other horrific occasions have come as well, including the devastating announcement that Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages were brutally killed by Hamas just as we, the United States with other partners, were working diligently on trying to secure another release. We cannot and will not stop the hard work that we have to do with the international community. I want all of their family members to know, not just the American citizens, but all of them: We carry the stories of your loved ones with us. We tell those stories and we carry them in our hearts every single day. This is not just work that we do for the sake of doing the work. It’s because it’s part of us.”
Ilay David, brother of Evyatar David in his speech said:
“Right now, Evyatar, Guy (Gilboa Dalal), and all the 99 others, are dying. They are suffocating. They are dying from hunger, and they can be executed in a blink of an eye, just because a terrorist feels like can shoot them in the head wherever they want. We owe them to do whatever we can to save them. We cannot let anyone else die, and they are dying. I know my brother is coming back home. That’s my biggest hope. And my biggest fear is that eventually we will not have people to bargain on. I want you to take with you this very strong belief that 101 hostages are coming back home, to hug their parents, to hug their children, to hug their brothers and sisters. that’s what I go to bed with, and that’s what wakes me up in the morning. I know Evyatar is coming back, and I ask you to know the same.”
Sharon Lifshitz, daughter of Oded Lifshitz said:
“My dad and 100 other people are hostages in Gaza without any contact, medical assistance, or basic amenities needed for survival. It’s excruciating to imagine what he’s going through without being able to contact him or help him. Dad has always said that war is a failure to make agreements in advance. Since he has been held in Hamas captivity for more than a year, I think about this statement many times a day – the agreements that could, and should have been made, if we all could speak to each other and not use force to communicate.
Now is the time for every country that is committed to the return of the abductees to enter the negotiation table which will lead to agreements for peace. The situation in the north is giving mediators another new and creative force to release the hostages. This is the time not only to tell us and hug us and say you’re doing everything. ”
Etty Israeli, aunt of the late Itay Chen in her speech said:
“As time passes by, it becomes more difficult to keep this humanitarian crisis at the top of the international agenda. We see the international community focused on the de-escalation of the Lebanon-Israel conflict but remember hostages have no time left. Hamas is not willing to respond to Egypt’s and Qatar’s requests. Unacceptable. They need to see the response of the international community for failed negotiations.”
Steffen Seibert, German Ambassador to Israel said:
“You have never failed your loved ones. Every meeting, every conversation with you has been a lesson in what really matters in life, a lesson in the strength that people can find in themselves when they must fight for their loved ones because nobody else will. So what must we do as diplomats, and representatives of governments? As everybody says, it has been a very quiet few weeks in the talks over a cease-fire and a hostage deal. So we must be willing to search for new ways. Every new idea is worth studying, every new proposal is worth checking, nothing should be taboo.”
Simon Walters, British Ambassador to Israel said:
“We are here this evening to stand in solidarity with the hostage families as they face the horrific milestone of one year since 7 October. We must not forget the hostages and their families, even amid new fronts that have diverted the world’s attention. We need urgent action. The current situation is intolerable. It is time for a deal that will allow the safe return of the hostages, an end to fighting and more aid into Gaza. We must bring them home now”.
Axel Wahnish, Argentinian Ambassador to Israel said:
“Argentina and Israel stand united in defending freedom and democracy, and in the fight against terrorism and dictatorships. Argentina reaffirms its absolute condemnation of cowardly terrorism and its support for Israel’s full right to self-defense. Silence is complicity. Silence and tolerance towards terrorism only fuel it. This is why Argentina does not remain silent today. Argentina stands on the right side of history. The issue of hostages is not a political or military matter. It is a fundamental humanitarian issue, and everyone should demand their immediate and unconditional release. Argentina stands with you, dear families.”
Matthieu Clouvel, Consul General of France said:
“My country has been deeply struck, among others, by this tragedy. Eight hostages, some of them children, were released in the first hostage deal. Two of their parents are still in Gaza: Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi. I can assure you that we think of them every day. They are all with us. We’ve failed for two of them: Orión Hernández and Eliya Toledano. We will continue to look for other ways to explore, to think out-of-the-box. We haven’t reached the end of the road yet. So the only thing I want is to reinstate France’s commitment to be on your side and to work to get all the hostages out of Gaza.”