Anxiety Grows Over Israeli Hostages in Gaza as Peace Negotiations Reach Deadlock after 500 Days
Aviva Siegel, a former hostage in Gaza, has called on the Israeli government to intensify efforts to secure the release of remaining captives. She, along with her spouse, was held hostage since October 7, 2023.
Jonathan Dekel-Chen has experienced mixed emotions this past week. His son Sagui's release over the weekend, part of the cease-fire deal with Hamas, brought him happiness. However, the reminder of Sagui's ordeal and the ongoing sufferings of other hostages are a constant source of sorrow.
"Today is a day with very mixed feelings," Mr. Dekel-Chen expressed during an interview on Thursday. He had just visited his son in a hospital near Tel Aviv, on a day when Hamas handed over coffins purportedly containing the remains of four of his neighbors from Kibbutz Nir Oz. This community had seen a quarter of its 400 residents killed or held hostage on October 7, 2023.
Currently, 504 days have passed since the Hamas-led attack, and approximately 60 hostages are still missing. "We need to redouble our efforts to bring all the hostages home," Mr. Dekel-Chen pleaded. Among the bodies returned on Thursday were alleged to be three members of the Bibas family – Ariel Bibas, 4, Kfir Bibas, just 10 months old, and their mother, Shiri Bibas. The family symbolized the plight of the hostages, with videos of their capture going viral.
However, on early Friday, the Israeli military confirmed that the remains in the coffin believed to be of Ms. Bibas did not match the identity of any of the hostages. The military labelled this as a "violation of utmost severity."
Confirmation was given for the children's remains and those of Oded Lifshitz, aged 83 when killed in captivity by the extremist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, according to the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.