Tel Aviv:

The sister of an Israeli hostage whose body was recovered from Gaza last week struck a solemn tone Sunday as she laid him to rest after thousands attended his funeral.

“I feared this ending but I wanted so much for it to end differently,” Avivit Yablonka told AFP at the funeral of her brother Chanan.

Chanan, 42, was murdered on October 7 in Hamas’s unprecedented attack, while trying to escape from the Nova music festival where at least 364 people were killed.

His body was taken to the Gaza Strip by militants but was retrieved on Friday by Israeli troops after spending 230 days in captivity.

In the space of a week, the Israeli army has announced the death of eight hostages who had been presumed to be alive — five Israelis, two Thais and a French-Mexican dual national.

The army also retrieved seven bodies — including Chanan’s — that had been held in Gaza since October 7.

Hopes have since faded among the families of other hostages whose whereabouts are unknown.

Militants took 252 hostages during the attack, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the Israeli army says are dead.

Dozens of hostage relatives gathered outside the home of Chanan’s parents Sunday for a silent procession to Tel Aviv’s Kiryat Shaul cemetery, accompanied by thousands waving Israeli flags.

The Yablonka family had urged people to join the march in solidarity with the hostages.

“We have to bring everyone back — this march is for him and for the release of all the hostages,” Avivit said.

Surrounded by crowds of people, Chanan’s family said goodbye.

– ‘Funeral to funeral’ –

The war in Gaza broke out after Hamas’s attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,984 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

Before she learned of her brother’s death, Avivit, 48, attended the funeral of Ron Benjamin, who was found in the same tunnel complex in northern Gaza as her brother, according to the army.

“I’m scared. I go from funeral to funeral. I’m so scared, but I have hope, I’m not giving up,” she said at the time.

A father of two, Chanan had played for the Hapoel Tel-Aviv football club in his youth, and remained a fan.

His family had not heard from him since October 7, and was told he was in Gaza 90 days after his disappearance.

“We thought they were coming back alive, but they’re coming back in coffins,” Avivit said before laying her brother to rest.

Avivit said she wants “to believe that the government really wants to bring them all back and that there are difficulties in negotiating with such murderers”.

She said last week she had not received a phone call from any minister or lawmaker.

– Anger at government –

Her anger is shared by Jonathan Dekel-Chen, professor of history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, whose son Sagi is being held hostage in Gaza.

“My anger is only growing,” he told AFP.

“We see that there is no progress for the return of the hostages… Israeli society is with us but the government is not doing enough to bring them home.”

Yet he remains hopeful of finding his son alive. He was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, leaving his pregnant wife and two daughters behind.

Sagi’s wife Avital has since given birth to a daughter Shahar, which means “dawn” in English.

Around 75 people from kibbutz Nir Oz were captured on October 7.

Dekel-Chen said his “daily” dream was to see his son reunited with his entire family, including children Gali, 3, and Bar, 7.

“They run to him and he, on his two legs, runs to his wife Avital and Shahar, the baby, and finally embraces him, and resumes a normal life,” he said, describing his recurring dream.

“This is my mission. I won’t stop until it happens.”

At the entrance to the university library, tears in his eyes, he stared at a portrait of his son displayed at the reception desk.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

This combo from photos provided by Hostages Families Forum Headquarters shows from left, Michel Nisenbaum, 59, Hanan Yablonka, 42, and Oryon Hernandez Radoux, 30. The bodies of three more hostages killed on Oct 7. were recovered overnight from Gaza, Israel’s army said Friday May 24, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

The bodies of three more hostages killed on Oct 7. were recovered overnight from Gaza, Israel’s army said Friday, as the top United Nations court prepares to rule on whether Israel must halt its military operations and withdraw from the enclave.

The bodies of Hanan Yablonka, Michel Nisenbaum, and Orion Hernandez Radoux were found and their families have been notified. The Army said they were killed on the day of the attack at the Mefalsim intersection and their bodies were taken to Gaza.

The announcement comes less than a week after the army said it found the bodies of three other Israeli hostages killed on Oct. 7.

Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and abducted around 250 others in the Oct. 7 attack. Around half of those hostages have since been freed, most in swaps for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel during a weeklong cease-fire in November.

Israel says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of at least 39 more, while 17 bodies of hostages have been recovered.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to both eliminate Hamas and bring all the hostages back, but he’s made little progress. He faces pressure to resign, and the U.S. has threatened to scale back its support over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

On Friday, Mr. Netanyahu said the country had a duty to do everything to return those abducted, both those killed and those who are alive.

In a post on X Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron gave condolences to the family of Hernández-Radoux, a French-Mexican citizen, saying France remains committed to releasing the hostages.

The country is also expecting a ruling Friday afternoon by the International Court of Justice to decide on an urgent plea by South Africa to order Israel to cease operations. Israel is unlikely to comply with any such order. Even so, a cease-fire order by judges of the International Court of Justice would heap more pressure on an increasingly isolated Israel.

On the hostages, Israelis are divided into two main camps: those who want the government to put the war on hold and free the hostages, and others who think the hostages are an unfortunate price to pay for eradicating Hamas. On-and-off negotiations mediated by Qatar, the United States and Egypt have yielded little.

Anger is growing at home at the government’s handling of the hostage crisis.

Earlier this week a group representing the families of hostages released new video footage showing Hamas’ capture of five female Israeli soldiers near the Gaza border on Oct. 7.

The video shows several of the young soldiers bloody and wounded. In one scene, a militant tells one of the terrified women she is beautiful.

The video sparked more protests across the country calling for the hostages’ release.

The Army said on Friday the hostages were found during an operation in Jabaliya. Military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a news conference that the army was able to retrieve the bodies based on “critical intelligence” uncovered last week by Israeli forces operating in Gaza.

The group representing the families of the hostages said the bodies had been returned to their families for burial.

Nisenbaum, 59, was a Brazilian-Israeli from the southern city of Sderot. He was taken hostage when he went to rescue his 4-year-old granddaughter.

Oryon Hernandez Radoux, 30, was taken from the Nova music festival, which he attended with his partner Shani Louk. Louk’s body was one of those found by the army nearly a week ago.

Yablonka, 42, a father of two, was also taken from the music festival. His family in December told the AP that he loved music. Yablonka’s family had no news of him for nearly two months after he’d been taken, not knowing if he was alive or dead.

Israel’s offensive since the war began has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and has caused a humanitarian crisis and a near-famine.

While it has weakened Hamas’ capabilities, after nearly eight months of war, militants are regrouping in some of the hardest-hit areas in northern Gaza and resuming rocket attacks into nearby Israeli communities. Israel says its troops are operating in Rafah in the south, in central Gaza and in Jabaliya in the north.

Tel Aviv:

The families of hostages held in the Gaza Strip appealed on Saturday for Jewish Israelis to leave an empty chair at their traditional Seder meals marking the beginning of Passover on Monday.  

“The Seder night is approaching and this year we will have to leave an empty chair,” said Ofir Angrest, whose brother Matan was kidnapped on October 7, during the weekly gathering of hostage families in Tel Aviv with hundreds of onlookers. 

Declaring that he was addressing the Israeli cabinet, he said: “Enough! After more than six months, you’re simply disrespecting me and the families of the hostages.”

The idea was backed by Israeli President Isaac Herzog in a video posted to X.

Hamas took around 250 hostages during its unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7.

Israel believes that 129 remain in Gaza, including 34 who are presumed dead.

Around 100 were released during a ceasefire in November.

Sofi Cohen Ben Dor, daughter of the famous Israeli spy Eli Cohen, also spoke at the gathering. Her father was hanged in Damascus in 1965 after infiltrating elite circles in Syria in the early 1960s and his body was never returned to Israel.

“His body is still kept for 60 years in an unknown place in Syria. Israel did not create the opportunity to return his body for burial in Israel,” she said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jerusalem:

Thousands of protesters rallied in Jerusalem on Sunday demanding the release of around 130 hostages still held in Gaza after six months of Israel’s war against Hamas.

Hamas gunmen burst into Israel on Oct. 7, killed 1,200 people in their homes, on army bases, along roads and at an outdoor rave and inflicting sexual violence on some of their victims, according to a U.N. team of experts.

The gunmen also seized 253 hostages, including children and elderly, civilians and soldiers. Around half of them were released as part of a brief truce deal in late November.

Talks to secure another ceasefire that would include the release of dozens more of the remaining hostages, resumed in Egypt on Sunday.

But some hostage families are wary, with previous rounds of negotiations having gone nowhere and some of the hostages dying in captivity.

“Their families and everybody here has had enough. And people need to understand that and the world needs to stand up and get them back,” said Michal Nachshon, 39, who made her way from Tel Aviv to the protest outside Israel’s parliament

“It’s above politics. It’s above religion, it’s a humanitarian issue and that’s what we’re here to shout today,” she added.

While some hostage parents at Sunday’s rally called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more to bring home the hostages, speakers largely kept messages apolitical, focusing on their pain and the urgent need to get their loved ones home.

But over the past few weeks, protests against Netanyahu’s government have intensified with some critics charging that the veteran leader has been dragging his feet in securing a deal – an accusation he strongly denies.

Netanyahu’s cabinet has faced widespread criticism over the security failure of Oct. 7 – Israel’s deadliest single day and the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust.

Some rallies demanding an election be held have been organised by protest groups that led the mass demonstrations which rocked Israel in 2023. Successive opinion polls since Oct. 7 have shown Netanyahu would be defeated by centrists.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Israeli military has requested Gaza Strip residents to share actionable information about the locations where Hamas has kept Israeli hostages.

In a post on X, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) offered money for giving accurate information that could lead to rescue of the hostages.

The IDF also promised protection and confidentiality of those who give information about where the hostages are being held.

Some 220 hostages are still in Hamas’ captivity.

“If your will is to live in peace and to have a better future for your children, do the humanitarian deed immediately and share verified and valuable information about hostages being held in your area,” the IDF said.

“The Israeli military assures you that it will invest maximum effort in providing security for you and your home, and you will receive a financial reward.  We guarantee you complete confidentiality,” it said.

“The contact details are: Secure phone call: 8619 WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal: +972503957992,” the IDF said in the post on X, which also has the same message in Arabic.

If your will is to live in peace and to have a better future for your children, do the humanitarian deed immediately and share verified and valuable information about hostages being held in your area. The Israeli military assures you that it will invest maximum effort in… pic.twitter.com/FhlXR7ZjF5

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 24, 2023

Israel continues to strike at Hamas targets in Gaza, one of the most densely populated places in the world. It has accused Hamas of keeping civilians near rocket-launching sites to use them as human shields.

Two elderly Hamas hostages were airlifted to an Israeli hospital to be reunited with family today, as the US demanded Hamas release more than 200 other captives before Gaza ceasefire talks are considered.

Hamas stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, and killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot or burnt to death on the first day of the raid, according to Israeli officials.

Hamas also took 222 people hostage, among them elderly people and young children, according to the Israeli authorities’ latest count. The hostages include dozens of dual nationals and foreigners.

More than 5,000 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed across the Gaza Strip in retaliatory Israeli bombardments, according to the latest number of dead from the Hamas health ministry in Gaza.

Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and their octogenarian husbands were among the hostages seized on October 7. Hamas released Ms Cooper and Ms Lifshitz on Monday citing “compelling humanitarian” reasons, after mediation by Qatar and Egypt.

Their release comes days after a US mother and daughter were freed.

With inputs from AFP

An 8-year-old Israeli boy, believed to be among the 200 Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, spent his 9th birthday while in captivity. Before turning 9, he had sent a birthday invitation to his friends to celebrate the day with him. Now, a picture of the heartbreaking invitation that has surfaced on Instagram, shows Ohad standing with a heart-shaped leaf in his palm.

“Come celebrate my 9th birthday with me on Saturday, October 21, 2023,” says the invitation.

”This is the invitation he sent to his friends to celebrate with him over the weekend. Instead of being surrounded by family and friends, he will ‘celebrate’ in captivity, in the hands of terrorists. On October 7, 2023, Ohad, along with his mother and grandparents, were ripped from their home, kidnapped by Hamas, and taken to Gaza. Ohad, along with hundreds of civilians, is being held hostage by Hamas,” the caption of the post shared by StandWithUs reads.

Watch the video here:

The caption of the post further described him as a bright young boy and an only child. ”Ohad is a brilliant chess player and a wizard with the Rubik’s Cube. He also loves playing soccer and tennis. Please share this so we can bring him home,” the caption added.

Reacting to the image, one user wrote, ”Oh little Ohad, just a child. Please let him be released and safe with his family and the remainder of the Israelis.” Another commented, ”Praying for the safe return of Ohad and all of the hostages.”

According to the Times Of Israel, Ohad was kidnapped by Hamas operatives on October 7 and taken to Gaza along with his mother Keren, and his grandparents.

The Israeli military confirmed that the family’s cell phones had been detected in Gaza.

”I keep imagining what he is going through. He’s a sensitive boy. Did he see dead bodies? He wears glasses. Did they take them from him? Can he see anything? I keep thinking of every scenario, hoping for the least catastrophic. I just hope that he is safe and with his mother, ” Ohad’s grief-stricken father, Avi Zichri said. 

Notably, Ohad is Mr. Zichri’s only child with his partner, Keren Munder, a 54-year-old special education teacher and volleyball coach for children with disabilities. 

Exposure to violent conflict can produce fear, horror, and lifelong trauma in young children. As the Israel-Hamas war intensifies, the conflict is taking a horrendous toll on innocent children from both regions. Several heartwrenching visuals of children crying, running through the streets, and cowering in bomb shelters after airstrikes have surfaced online. Recently, another heartbreaking image of a scared little girl hiding in a storage unit after surviving the Hamas attack went viral.