As Israel pummels Gaza, families of those held hostage by militants agonize over loved ones' safety (2024)

JERUSALEM (AP) — In the hours after Hamas blew through Israel’s heavily fortified separation fence and crossed into the country from Gaza, Ahal Besorai tried desperately to reach his sister. There was no answer.

Soon after, he learned from witnesses that militants had seized her, her husband and their teenage son and daughter, along with dozens of others. Now, aching uncertainty over their fate has left Besorai and scores of other Israelis in limbo.

“Should I cry because they are dead already? Should I be happy because maybe they are captured but still alive?” said Besorai, a life coach and resort owner who lives in the Philippines and grew up on Kibbutz Be’eri. “I pray to God every day that she will be found alive with her family and we can all be reunited.”

As Israel strikes back with missile attacks on targets in Gaza, the families grapple with the knowledge that it could come at the cost of their loved ones’ lives. Hamas has warned it will kill one of the 130 hostages every time Israel’s military bombs civilian targets in Gaza without warning.

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Eli Elbag said he woke Saturday to text messages from his daughter, Liri, 18, who’d just began her military training as an Army lookout at the Gaza border. Militants were shooting at her, she wrote. Minutes later, the messages stopped. By nightfall, a video circulated by Hamas showed her crowded into an Israeli military truck overtaken by militants. The face of a hostage next to Liri was marred and bloodied.

“We are watching television constantly looking for a sign of her,” Elbag said. “We think about her all the time. All the time wondering if they’re take caring of her, if they’re feeding her, how she’s feeling and what she’s feeling.”

For Israel, locating hostages in Gaza may prove difficult. Although the strip is tiny, subject to constant aerial surveillance and surrounded by Israeli ground and naval forces, the territory just over an hour from Tel Aviv remains somewhat opaque to Israeli intelligence agencies.

Militants posted video of the hostages, and families were left in agony wondering about their fate.

Yosi Shnaider has wrestled with worry since his family members were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, just over a mile from the Gaza fenceline. He saw video of his cousin and her two young boys, held hostage.

“It’s like an unbelievable bad movie, like a nightmare,” Shnaider said Monday. “I just need information on if they are alive,” he added.

Also missing, his aunt who requires medicine to treat her diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Since the family found out they were taken hostage, the woman’s sister has been so mortified that she is “like a zombie, alive and dead at the same time” said Shnaider, a real estate agent in the Israeli city of Holon.

Israel’s foreign minister, Eli Cohen, said the country is committed to bringing the hostages home and issued a warning to Hamas, which controls Gaza.

“We demand Hamas not to harm any of the hostages,” he said. “This war crime will not be forgiven.”

Hamas has also said it seeks the release of all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails — some 4,500 detainees, according to Israeli human rights group B’Tselem — in exchange for the Israeli captives.

Uncertainty also weighs heavily on families who still do not know whether their relatives have been killed, taken into Hamas captivity, or have escaped and are on the run. Tomer Neumann, whose cousin was attending a music festival near the Gaza border and has since vanished, hopes it’s the last of the three options.

The cousin, Rotem Neumann, who is 25 and a Portuguese citizen, called her parents from the festival when she heard rocket fire, he said. She piled into a car with friends, witnesses said, but fled when they encountered trucks filled with militants. Later, her phone was found near a concrete shelter.

“All we have is bits and pieces of information,” said Neumann, who lives in Bat Yam, a city just south of Tel Aviv.

“What now is on my mind is not war and is not bombing,” he said. “All we want is to know where Rotem is and to know what happened to her and we want peace.”

As Israel pummels Gaza, families of those held hostage by militants agonize over loved ones' safety (2024)

FAQs

What is the Israel Gaza conflict explained? ›

The Gaza–Israel conflict is a localized part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict beginning in 1948, when 200,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes, settling in the Gaza Strip as refugees. Since then, Israel has fought 15 wars against the Gaza Strip.

How many people have died in the Israel Gaza war? ›

At least 39,145 people have been killed and 90,257 injured in Israel's war on Gaza. The death toll in Israel from the Hamas-led attacks on October 7 is estimated at 1,139 with dozens of people still held captive in Gaza.

Did Israel send humanitarian aid to Gaza? ›

On October 18, 11 days after Hamas' murderous terror attack, Israel agreed to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza from Egypt to mitigate a major humanitarian crisis and save innocent Palestinian lives.

Why did Israel remove settlers from Gaza? ›

The motivation behind the disengagement was described by Sharon's top aide as a means of isolating Gaza and avoiding international pressure on Israel to reach a political settlement with the Palestinians. The disengagement plan was implemented in August 2005 and completed in September 2005.

Why is Gaza attacking Israel? ›

In addition, 251 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive into Gaza. Hamas said its attack was in response to Israel's continued occupation, blockade of Gaza, and settlements expansion, as well as alleged threats to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the plight of Palestinians.

What is the story behind Gaza? ›

The known history of Gaza spans 4,000 years. Gaza was ruled, destroyed and repopulated by various dynasties, empires, and peoples. Originally a Canaanite settlement, it came under the control of the ancient Egyptians for roughly 350 years before being conquered and becoming one of the Philistines' principal cities.

Who lives in Gaza Strip now? ›

The Gaza Strip, which some have called "the world's largest open-air prison," is a narrow piece of land between Israel and Egypt. More than 2 million Palestinians live in the 140-square-mile enclave, making it one of the most densely populated places on earth.

Is Gaza violent? ›

Gaza has been under a violent blockade for 16 years.

As a result, the effects have been brutal, even prior to the expanded siege now underway: 80% of people in Gaza rely on international assistance to survive.

How many kids have been killed in Gaza? ›

Nearly 15,000 other children in Gaza have been killed since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. "Gaza has become a graveyard for children, with thousands of others missing, their fates unknown," Stoner said.

Who provides food to Gaza? ›

WFP works with community kitchens to deliver hundreds of thousands of hot meals daily across central and southern Gaza and Gaza City. WFP continues helping bakeries by providing wheat flour and other resources. We are providing food and cash transfers in the West Bank.

Why does Israel receive so much US aid? ›

Israel has received hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. foreign aid in the post–World War II era, a level of support that reflects many factors, including a U.S. commitment to Israel's security and the countries' shared foreign policy interests in a volatile and strategically important part of the world.

Why can't aid get into Gaza? ›

Gaza is not getting the aid it needs

Some families in Gaza have been displaced several times over. Insecurity caused by the fighting also makes it difficult for humanitarian agencies to safely get the aid to affected populations. The danger extends to humanitarian workers.

Are Jews allowed in Gaza? ›

Since 2005, Israelis and Jewish settlers are not allowed to travel in and out of Gaza freely. Foreigners are not subject to those restrictions but must obtain permits from Israeli authorities.

Why can't people leave Gaza? ›

Since Oct. 7, Israeli authorities have continued to block Palestinians in Gaza from fleeing into neighboring Israel to seek even temporary refuge from the hostilities, in violation of international law. Neighboring Egypt's borders are mostly closed, too.

Why did the Jews leave Israel? ›

Heavy taxes on agricultural land forced many Jews to migrate from rural areas to towns. Social and economic discrimination caused significant Jewish emigration from Palestine, and Muslim civil wars in the 8th and 9th centuries pushed many Jews out of the country.

What is the Israel Palestine conflict in simple terms? ›

The dispute is over a specific area of land (what used to be the Mandatory Palestine area) that Palestinians and Israelis both claim. Many attempts have been made to make a two-state solution, which would mean an independent Palestinian state and an Israeli state, dividing the land between the two groups.

Why do Palestine and Israel have conflict? ›

Key aspects of the conflict include the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the status of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, borders, security, water rights, the permit regime, Palestinian freedom of movement, and the Palestinian right of return.

What is the war between Israel and Iran about? ›

Israel sees Iran as an existential threat, and accuses its regime of harboring genocidal intentions. Consequently, Israel has sought sanctions and military action against Iran to stop it from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Why does the US support Israel? ›

In turn, Israel provides a strategic American foothold in the region as well as intelligence and advanced technological partnerships in both the civilian and military worlds. During the Cold War, Israel was a vital counterweight to Soviet influence in the region.

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