Israel: Former Hamas hostages struggle to keep hope on October 7 • FRANCE 24 English

Walking through the rubble of this kabutz in southern Israel, Tal Shaw reles a nightmare. It was here on October 7th, 2023 where Hamas militants abducted him along with his wife and children. It’s like entering a massive graveyard. All this neighborhood that once was so peaceful and and beautiful is now like all destroyed. His wife and children were released in the first deal with Hamas in 2023 along with 100 other hostages. But Shawam spent 55 days in captivity. After the first 8 months, he was taken underground into Gaza’s tunnels along with other hostages, including this man, Davidid, who is one of the hostages still being held. In August, Hamas released this video of Davided looking frail and emaciated. They tried to find many creative ways to like to torture us psychologically and and physically. So for example, they they entered few times and and told us that one of us need to die and we can choose who who it will be. Shham says he thought he would die in the tunnels, but during a truce in February of this year, Hamas released him. Now he’s praying the others will also be freed. Since November of 2023, families of the hostages have protested weekly outside the home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for an end to the war and for a deal to bring their loved ones home. It’s believed that Hamas still has 20 Israelis in captivity in Gaza along with the bodies of 28 hostages who were killed and whose families want to bury them. The deaths and abductions of Israelis by Hamas militants on October 7th were experienced as a national trauma and has fueled a war that has killed some 67,000 Palestinians in Gaza, which a UN inquiry has concluded is a genocide. Showham says given what he saw during his time in the hands of Hamas, he no longer thinks peace is possible. After I saw the magnitude of hatred that they grew up upon and they are growing their children upon, it’s really clear that at least in our generation, it won’t be possible. Even if a deal can be reached to end the war, Shan is highly pessimistic about the future and about the prospects of a lasting peace.

On the second anniversary of the October 7 attack, Israel mourns the 1,200 people killed and 251 taken hostage by Hamas. While most hostages have been released, 20 remain in captivity and 28 bodies are still held in Gaza. Freed hostage Tal Shoham, who endured 505 days in captivity, says he no longer believes peace is possible.
#Israel #Hamas #October-7

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4 comments

  3. Gaza was under siege for 17 years — no one had a plan to save it.
    – There were 10,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails before October 7 — no one had a plan to free them.
    – The whole world watched children starve in Gaza — no one had a plan to rescue them.
    – Israel continues to occupy lands in the West Bank and Syria — no one had a plan to stop it.
    Now, for just 20 Israeli hostages, suddenly everyone has a plan to save them.

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