Israelis who were held hostage by Hamas and were freed last year during a weeklong cease-fire called for immediate action to get a deal to get the rest of the hostages out.
Survivors and relatives of hostages still in Gaza gathered at the Hostage Families Forum headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel, to mark the one-year anniversary of the release, The Times of Israel reported.
The cease-fire last year led to the release of 80 Israelis held in Gaza by Hamas, while 240 Palestinians in Israeli jails were released.
Efforts by mediators from other countries, such as Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S., to achieve another cease-fire have failed.
"Captivity is hell," said Gabriela Leimberg, who spent 53 days in captivity in Gaza. "The only light is hope."
Leimberg said she survived captivity by imagining being reunited with her family.
"It's hard for me to believe the hostages still have hope and that they can imagine their return," she added.
Yifat Zailer, a cousin of hostage Shiri Bibas, spoke about the pain of not knowing the whereabouts of the Bibas family, including nephews Ariel, 5, and Kfir, 15 months old, as well as their father, Yarden.
"Until we hear otherwise, they're alive, as far as we are concerned. That's the least they deserve," Zailer said.
"What would have happened if we had waited one more day?" Zailer asked, since Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were slated for return the day the war began again. "Only with a deal that brings back all the hostages can I know my family's fate."
Zailer then addressed the international media, saying, "[W]e need the international community's help. We can't do this alone."
Freed hostages Raz Ben Ami, whose husband Ohad Ben Ami is still captive, and Danielle Aloni, whose brother-in-law David Cunio is still captive along with his brother Ariel, also spoke at the event.
"If people could truly understand what it means to be held in subhuman conditions in tunnels, surrounded by terrorists for 54 days, there's no way they would allow hostages to remain there for 415 days," said Raz Ben Ami, calling for a cease-fire to "bring back all the hostages as quickly as possible."
Aloni said hostages still there "suffer physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, their identity and dignity crushed anew each day."
"It took the Israeli government about two months to secure a deal for me and 80 other Israeli hostages. Why is it taking over a year to reach another deal to free them from this hell?" Aloni asked.
"The feeling of suffocation, the terrible humidity, the stench — these sensations still envelop us."
Jeremy Frankel ✉
Jeremy Frankel is a Newsmax writer reporting on news and politics.
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