{"id":135816,"date":"2025-11-16T05:01:18","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T05:01:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/135816\/"},"modified":"2025-11-16T05:01:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T05:01:18","slug":"families-survivors-call-for-return-of-remaining-hostages-still","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/135816\/","title":{"rendered":"Families, survivors call for return of remaining hostages still"},"content":{"rendered":"

The war may be over, but 771 days after the October 7 massacre, three hostages’ bodies remain in Gaza. As on every Saturday night, thousands gathered at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, calling for continued efforts to bring them home: Ran Gvili<\/a>, Dror Or<\/a> and Sudthisak Rinthalak<\/a>.Among those who spoke at the rally was former hostage Guy Gilboa Dalal<\/a>, in his first public appearance since being released in a deal with Hamas on October 13 \u2014 738 days after being abducted. In his speech, Guy described being taken from the Nova music festival, alongside his friend Evyatar David, and the pain of not knowing the fate of his brother, Gal, or his friends, Ron Tzarfati and Idan Harmati.<\/p>\n

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Guy Gilboa Dalal gestures to the crowd at the rally<\/p>\n

(Photo: Dana Kopel)<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Guy Gilboa Dalal, and I\u2019m finally home,\u201d he began. \u201cOn October 7, I left home with my friends Idan Harmati, Ron Tzarfati \u2014 may their memories be a blessing \u2014 and Evyatar David for the Nova festival. We were really looking forward to it. We had a great time, and I was especially happy when my brother Gal joined us around 6 a.m. Shortly after that, the rockets started, and the terrorists arrived. We ran and hid. I was kidnapped with Evyatar, not knowing what had happened to Gal, Idan or Ron. On the day I was freed, I learned that Idan and Ron had been brutally murdered. They will always be in my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued: \u201cI stand here today after two long, hard years that felt like an eternity \u2014 two years of darkness, longing and fear, but also hope that I refused to give up. That hope came from you. Before I was taken into the tunnels, I saw pictures from this square. You gave me strength and hope \u2014 Am Yisrael, who doesn\u2019t forget its brothers. Thank you!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you to the brave and heroic IDF soldiers who stood strong to defend the Land of Israel \u2014 both regulars and reservists who left their families and businesses behind. I am standing here today because of you. IDF soldiers gave their bodies and souls so that I could come home. I salute you and send my deepest condolences to the families of the fallen and wishes for a speedy recovery to the wounded.\u201d<\/p>\n

Guy ended his speech with a plea: \u201cWe will not forget for a moment the three hostages still in Gaza \u2014 Ran, Dror and Sudthisak. Their families, and all of Israel, are waiting for them. The mission isn\u2019t complete until they all return \u2014 until the last hostage comes home. Am Yisrael Chai.\u201d<\/p>\n

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From the right: Evyatar David, Guy Gilboa Dalal, the late Ron Tzarfati and the late Idan Harmati<\/p>\n

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Guy, tonight at the rally at Hostage Square<\/p>\n

(Photo: Dana Kopel)<\/p>\n

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\"\u05d4\u05e2\u05e6\u05e8\u05ea<\/a>\"\u05d4\u05e2\u05e6\u05e8\u05eaAlso speaking at the rally was freed hostage Maxim Herkin<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s very emotional for me to stand here,\u201d Herkin said. \u201cI didn\u2019t prepare a speech. I\u2019m just speaking from the heart, like I always do. I\u2019m here because of you. I\u2019m finally living my dream. For two years, I dreamed of this moment \u2014 of the chance to stand here and say thank you. You are the real heroes. You brought me home \u2014 not just me, but almost all of the guys, right? We\u2019ve come such a long way, and we have just a little more to go. We\u2019ll give it everything we\u2019ve got, one last push, and we\u2019ll reach the finish line. We\u2019ll bring all our hostages home. I want you to know there\u2019s a place in my heart for every one of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Herkin continued: \u201cWhen I was sitting in the tunnels and I saw all this strength, the stage, the crowds, the signs, the whole struggle and all the madness, I said one simple thing: If I could physically stand here and hug all eight million of us \u2014 however many we are \u2014 and just say thank you, I would. So I\u2019m hugging you from here, from the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to say it again \u2014 and ask you all \u2014 I admire you. Please keep this going. Despite all the hardship and tragedy we\u2019ve endured, this mutual care, this help, this strength we have \u2014 we can\u2019t afford to lose it. We just need to keep going, to cherish it and we will get through this. I want to say thank you. Thank you so much. I owe you my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Maxim Herkin<\/p>\n

(Photo: Dana Kopel)<\/p>\n

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\"\u05d4\u05e2\u05e6\u05e8\u05ea<\/a>\"\u05d4\u05e2\u05e6\u05e8\u05eaAt the start of the rally, the parents of Staff Sgt. Itay Chen<\/a> \u2014 whose body was returned to Israel for burial as part of the recent deal \u2014 addressed the crowd. His father, Ruby, thanked those in attendance and demonstrators across the country, saying, \u201cYou forced the Israeli government to understand that its duty is not only to protect its citizens but also to bring them home \u2014 some for rehabilitation, others for a proper burial.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cI believe the war of October 7 is a turning point in Israeli history. It will define the values that guide our people going forward. The question is: will we embrace values of mutual responsibility and aid, like the heroes who fought in the war? Or will we let our elected officials return to their obsession with the three Ps\u2014power, prestige and profit \u2014 at our expense?\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ruby and Hagit Chen, the parents of the late Itai Chen, at the rally in Hostage Square tonight<\/p>\n

(Photo: Dana Kopel)<\/p>\n

Quoting Idan Amedi, he continued: \u201cThis is not a war of revival. Revival is a painful process that begins with acknowledging trauma and disaster. It requires admitting failure, recognizing destruction \u2014 not sweeping facts under the rug. Only when we confront these truths, investigate and fix our internal flaws can we rise again. The return of the three remaining hostages will be the sign that the war of October 7 has truly ended. To those who oppose a state commission of inquiry, I warn you: history will judge you harshly. Your names will carry a mark of shame for generations after the public sends you home.\u201d<\/p>\n

He concluded with a deeply personal message: \u201cTo my son and the other hostages, I\u2019m sorry it took two years to bring you back. We will hold accountable those who claimed it couldn\u2019t be done earlier \u2014 and those whose actions led to the deaths of 46 hostages in captivity. It was possible. It is necessary. And I will be here to ensure we build something better, so that my son\u2019s sacrifice \u2014 and that of the others \u2014 will not be in vain. We\u2019re here, and we won\u2019t give up until the last hostage returns.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"\u05d4\u05e2\u05e6\u05e8\u05ea<\/a>\"\u05d4\u05e2\u05e6\u05e8\u05eaAlso speaking was Chami Goldin, brother of Lt. Hadar Goldin<\/a>, whose body was returned to Israel after an 11-year battle led by his family following his abduction during 2014\u2019s Operation Protective Edge. Chami described the three remaining hostages as his own brothers and demanded their return: \u201cThere\u2019s no excuse in the world not to bring them back. Bring my brothers \u2014 your brothers \u2014 home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier in the evening, a parallel rally took place at the Arches Junction in Sha\u2019ar HaNegev. There, twin siblings Gali and Ziv Berman \u2014 who were kidnapped together from Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the October 7 attack \u2014 spoke publicly for the first time. Though abducted together, they spent 738 days in captivity apart, reuniting only upon their release last month.<\/p>\n

As the crowd welcomed them with applause and chants of \u201cThey\u2019re home!\u201d, Ziv opened with a smile, joking about their delay in arriving. \u201cGood evening, Sha\u2019ar HaNegev. Good evening, Arches Junction. We waited so long to return home \u2014 to stand before you not as pictures or stories, but as Ziv and Gali, in the flesh.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gali continued: \u201cThe road here \u2014 driving on Route 232, the same road we traveled every day \u2014 brought back all the memories. Every tree, every turn, every meter reminded us how much we missed home. A simple word, but for us, it\u2019s the fulfillment of prayer, of struggle, of a hope that refused to break.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ziv (right) and Gali Berman at the evening rally at Sha’ar HaNegev<\/p>\n

(Photo: Erez Volach)<\/p>\n

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Ziv added: \u201cWe stand here today with full hearts. Thank you for every day you didn\u2019t give up on us. For every Saturday you carried our names. For every moment when your voice became ours \u2014 when we couldn\u2019t speak for ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gali then addressed residents of the Gaza border communities: \u201cYou\u2019ve endured unimaginable loss and pain. Yet you still found the strength to hold on, to unify, to comfort, to support. This isn\u2019t just a community \u2014 it\u2019s a family. Our return is the result of sacrifice, bravery and a sense of responsibility that can\u2019t be taken for granted. We don\u2019t forget that \u2014 not for a second.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ziv followed: \u201cWe\u2019re here as people who came back from captivity \u2014 from darkness, from the deepest fears. The road to healing is still long, but our very presence here is proof of the strength we have as a people and a region.\u201d Gali concluded: \u201cNow that we\u2019re back, we understand the responsibility born within us \u2014 to be the voice of those still in captivity. Until the last hostage comes home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ziv described visiting the Kfar Aza cemetery for the first time: \u201cWe walked among the graves and couldn\u2019t believe what we saw \u2014 how the names of our closest friends were now etched in stone. Our friends from \u2018Young Generation\u2019 \u2014 people who sat with us, laughed with us, shared life with us \u2014 now engraved on headstones. It still hasn\u2019t sunk in. The pain is with us \u2014 it\u2019s part of the heart that came back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gali added: \u201cWe want to take a moment to honor the bereaved families \u2014 those who carry wounds that will never heal, yet still stand beside us. Your strength and grace light the way for all of us. Deep thanks to the security forces \u2014 IDF, police, Magen David Adom, firefighters \u2014 and everyone who worked tirelessly to bring us home. We are here because of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ziv offered a heartfelt tribute: \u201cA moment of appreciation for someone very special \u2014 Avi Rosenfeld, head of the hostage task force in Sha\u2019ar HaNegev. Avi, you were our family\u2019s anchor. Your presence, care and dedication gave us real strength in the hardest moments. We\u2019ll never forget what you told our mother: \u2018Until your children hug you and you smile \u2014 I won\u2019t stop.\u2019 And today \u2014 we\u2019re here. Hugging. Smiling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gali wrapped up with a lighthearted note: \u201cAnd one last thing, dear Avi \u2014 now that we\u2019re home, we\u2019re ready to get back on the soccer field. Be prepared \u2014 we\u2019re coming for another championship with the Kfar Aza Foxes. And in closing \u2014 from pain, from fulfilled hope and from the responsibility still ahead \u2014 we say loud and clear: Am Yisrael Chai!\u201d<\/p>\n

At the Arches Junction rally, Dorit and Yuval Or \u2014 the parents of hostage Dror Or<\/a>, whose body is still in Gaza \u2014 also spoke. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to be the last ones,\u201d Dorit said. \u201cAnother day, and another. Our nerves are stretched thin. The return of the living hostages still feels like a miracle to me \u2014 an actual miracle. I wish for healing every single day. The return of the fallen hostages is happening \u2014 but not at the pace or in the way we hoped. And yet, somehow, it\u2019s happening. At the same time, our fears keep growing \u2014 whether Dror will be found, and when he will be returned. We trust our army to make it happen. May we merit to bury him properly in Be\u2019eri, next to his beloved Yonet. His children need it. We need it. And it will happen. As long as quiet is maintained and our government doesn\u2019t fall for provocation \u2014 neither ours nor theirs\u2014because another war would destroy any chance of bringing Dror home.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Bar and Mor Godard, daughters of the late Meny Godard, at the rally at Sha’ar HaNegev<\/p>\n

(Photo: Erez Volach)<\/p>\n

Among the hundreds who attended was Bar Godard<\/a>, daughter of the late Meny Godard<\/a>, whose body was also returned to Israel this week. Standing with her sister Mor, she said: \u201cOur father has come home. On Monday, we will lay him to rest in Be\u2019eri \u2014 the land he loved so deeply. This struggle is not over. As my father said in his final moments in the shelter: \u2018It\u2019s not over until it\u2019s over.\u2019 We are not finished. Our mission remains incomplete until the three remaining hostages are brought home. And we will do it \u2014 with you. Please, stay with us and the families until everyone is home.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The war may be over, but 771 days after the October 7 massacre, three hostages’ bodies remain in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":135817,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-135816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=135816"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135816\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/135817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=135816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=135816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=135816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}