More than 50 hostages who were freed from Hamas captivity appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday in a letter calling for the continuation of the deal with Hamas and the release of the 59 hostages who still remain in Gaza.
The letter was signed, among others, by Yarden Bibas, Liri Albag, and Daniella Gilboa. Ilana Gritzewsky, a captivity survivor and girlfriend of hostage Matan Zangauker, initiated the sending of the letter.
"We, who were abducted during the October 7 massacre, experienced firsthand the inferno from which our loved ones have not yet returned. We saw the darkness, heard the horrors, and breathed the fear. We know—not imagine—what the remaining hostages are going through. Cruel torture, degrading starvation, untreated illnesses, abysmal loneliness—this is their reality at this very moment," the captivity survivors wrote to the Prime Minister.
"We are not truly free. As long as they are there, large parts of us remain in captivity. Every minute there is hell, every additional moment—a possible death sentence," they added.
"Israel stands at a dramatic crossroads—return to fighting or bring back all the hostages. More than a year passed between the previous deal and the current one, and during that time, more hostages were murdered than were rescued in military operations. We, who heard the echoes of bombs above our heads and experienced the fear for our lives, know that a return to fighting means a real danger to the lives of those still alive, while the chances of bringing back for burial those who are no longer among the living diminish," the captivity survivors wrote.
"Israel was established to protect the Jewish people, but on October 7, it failed. More than 1,200 were murdered, 240 were abducted, and the State of Israel failed to fulfill its fundamental promise to its citizens. The only way to begin to atone for that resounding failure is to bring back all the hostages—the living for rehabilitation, and the fallen for a proper burial on Israeli soil."
"We demand of you, Prime Minister, and the ministers of the cabinet and government—this may be the last opportunity to save lives and the last chance to bring back the dead before they are lost. The only way to return them is through the full implementation of the deal—in one phase, without delays. Do not let this opportunity slip away from us. The people of Israel want all the hostages home—the living for rehabilitation and the dead for burial."
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)
