Latest news with #Evyatar
Mint
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Israel's agonizing choice over which hostages to save
TEL AVIV—Only 20 of the hostages Hamas is holding in Gaza are believed to be alive. A cease-fire deal being negotiated is expected to bring an agonizing choice over who to free. Israel can only pick 10. 'It's Schindler's list," said Anat Angrest, the mother of captive soldier Matan Angrest, 22, who said her son was injured. 'I don't understand how the state can choose who should stay in hell." Israel and Hamas are now hammering out a deal that would see the release of 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others in exchange for a 60-day cease-fire and the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. A deal appears to be closer than at any point in recent months. In two previous cease-fire rounds, the decisions, while painful, were easier to rationalize in some ways. Priority was given to civilian women, children and the elderly. Next in line were female soldiers or men who were injured. Now, all of the living hostages are men, and they are all likely to be in a deteriorating mental and physical state. For the families still waiting, the decision is creating deep despair. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office didn't respond to a request for comment about how it chooses which hostages should be released. Ilay David knows that his brother, Evyatar David, 24, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, is likely not a top priority for release as he is young and uninjured, even if he faces harsh conditions in captivity. 'We understood early on that Evyatar…was never going to be among the first," David said. But for Evyatar to be left behind again would shatter him, he said. 'This knowledge that your brother is still there, still suffering, is really unbearable. I pray that we won't reach a situation where he is left there." Hostage families have insisted that any deal should include the release of all hostages at once rather than in phases. Many families are angry at the Israeli government over the partial deals it has negotiated. Hamas has said it would release all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war, something Israel refuses to do until the group is defeated. 'By insisting on choosing partial deals, the Israeli government has created with its own hands the system of selection," said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group that represents most of the families. In addition to the 20 men Israel believes to be alive, there are also two men whom Israel has said it has 'severe concern for their lives," language typically used by the military when hostages are likely to be deceased but haven't yet been declared dead. There are also 28 bodies of hostages that are being held in the Gaza Strip. For hostage families, the impending deal is fostering a sense of panic over whether their loved ones will make it onto the list. The inclusion of one hostage means another won't make it out, making any choice a painful outcome for families who have bonded and lobbied the world together over 21 months of war. Macabit Mayer, whose twin nephews Gali and Ziv Berman, 27, are being held in Gaza, says she can't sleep. She closes her eyes, but finds herself in a state of constant tension, ready to grab her phone or turn on the television for breaking news. Her heart beats faster and she dreads a phone call informing her of the worst. 'It's like a nightmare you just can't wake up from," Mayer said. 'Everyone is in a very extreme situation," she said, referring to hostage families waiting to see if they will make the list. While the exact criteria for inclusion on the list are still unclear, there is speculation it could include the injured, wounded or men with children, say people close to the families. Many hostage families are emphasizing the poor medical condition of their relatives in interviews and some are compiling medical files in hope it could influence authorities. But some medical professionals say that giving priority to the most vulnerable after 21 months will prove professionally impossible because of limited information and ethical implications. 'I really don't think that the medical teams at this point in time can determine who is more at risk and who is less at risk," said Hagai Levine, a doctor who heads the health team for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Levine, who has compiled medical files for each hostage since the start of the war, says there isn't up-to-date information on the precise medical state of each hostage and that he relies on released hostages' testimonies and Hamas videos. 'It's like treating a patient with a heart disease based on his EKG from three months ago," he said. In recent days, Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan, 25, was kidnapped from a kibbutz, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, whom she hugged. It was a surprising display of affection toward the Netanyahus. Zangauker has been one of the prime minister's fiercest critics over his refusal to end the war for the release of all the hostages. She later said that Netanyahu had assured her in the meeting he would free all the hostages. She declined to comment for this article. The deal being discussed in Doha includes a stipulation that the two sides are supposed to immediately enter into negotiations for a second stage that would end the war and free the remaining hostages. Some fear the second stage will never come. A previous cease-fire deal earlier this year never reached a second stage after Israel resumed fighting in the enclave. Hamas has sought stronger guarantees from mediators that talks will proceed to an end for the war, something Israel has so far refused. Parents of soldiers held in Gaza are especially worried because they have heard from released hostages that soldiers are treated worse than civilians and face violence and interrogations by militants. Previous cease-fire deals placed soldiers in the last category for release. They fear they could be left for last. Out of the 20, two were soldiers captured in uniform. Some families of soldiers say they feel betrayed by their government because it failed to protect their loved ones during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks that started the war, and now could be leaving them behind again. Edan Alexander, an American-Israeli citizen, is the only soldier captured in uniform who has so far been freed in a deal. That deal was between the U.S. and Hamas and didn't include Israel. In Israel, where military service is mandatory at age 18, many Israelis believe that the oath taken by a soldier to protect the state means the country will do everything to protect him in return. 'My Matan is a soldier and our country didn't fight for the soldiers as part of the deals," Angrest said. 'This contract has been broken." Write to Anat Peled at
ITV News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Hostage families fear ‘Russian roulette' offered by ceasefire talks
For almost two years, the families of hostages held in Gaza have been desperately hoping that their loved ones will be released. So one might imagine that growing rumours of a ceasefire and hostage exchange between Hamas and Israel would be welcome news. But at an event in London calling for more international action to free those captured, the response from families is more trepidation than celebration. The Israeli government believes that there are 20 living hostages still in Gaza but sources indicate that only 10 would likely be released as part of any ceasefire agreement. 'You know, it's like a game' sais Galia David, whose son Evyatar is in captivity. 'Like a lottery?' I ask her. 'Like Russian Roulette' is her response. Evyatar was 22-years-old when he was abducted from the Nova music festival during the October 7 attacks. In home videos and photos, he looks his age: healthy, happy and with a full head of curly hair. It's a far cry from the most recent video his family has seen of him. Released earlier this year, it shows Evyatar, looking gaunt with a shaven head, being taken to the handover ceremony of another hostage. In an act of psychological torture, he is forced to beg for his own release. Four months on and he is still being held captive. Despite the chance that her son could be amongst the 10 potentially being released, she - as with all the other families - is insistent that all the hostages need to be released at the same time. Otherwise, they fear that a handful could remain as collateral for years on end. Bipin Joshi's family worry that he may be far down the list when it comes to an exchange. He is a Nepalese citizen, with no family in Israel. His country has little international clout. Joshi had only arrived in Israel three weeks before he was kidnapped, as part of an international program providing agricultural training to young people from rural Nepal. Adi Radai has been helping to advocate on his behalf because his family don't speak English or Hebrew. 'They don't understand the conflict and it's heartbreaking,' said Adi. 'They just want their son back.' The timing of this event in London is co-incidental. It was delayed because all flights in and out of Israel were cancelled as a result of missile strikes from Iran. The families want to make clear that they aren't politicians - all they are interested in is the return of their loved ones. But they believe that will only happen when there is a permanent end to the fighting and a proper peace agreement, rather than a ceasefire. And even that is uncertain.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
His brother's keeper: Ilay David warns his brother, Hamas hostage Evyatar, is running out of time
Evyatar David, a music lover who dreams of working in the industry, is languishing in a Hamas tunnel, according to his brother, Ilay David. In a recent conversation with Fox News Digital, Ilay warned that his brother and all the hostages are running out of time. "Every week we used to play music together. That's what I miss the most," Ilay told Fox News Digital. He has been fighting for Evyatar's release since Oct. 7, 2023. Ilay described his brother as "the kindest soul I know." On Oct. 7, 2023, Evyatar was at the Nova music festival with three other friends when Hamas' attacks began. Two of Evyatar's friends did not survive the attacks, while he and his best friend, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, were taken hostage. Trump's Doj Cracks Down On Hamas With New Task Force Like many other hostage families, Evyatar's family set up a website to tell the world who he is and why securing his freedom is so crucial. On the website, his family laments that his "vibrant life" was forever changed. There are also videos showcasing Evyatar's guitar skills. Read On The Fox News App In February, the David family received a sign of life that Ilay described as being "shocking and amazing and frightening." Evyatar and Guy were forced to participate in a Hamas propaganda film, a practice the terror group has employed throughout the war. In the video, the two men in their 20s appear frail and tired as they beg for their lives while being forced to watch a hostage release ceremony in Gaza. "When it was finished, I could breathe," Ilay told Fox News Digital as he recalled watching the film for the first time. "I saw them alive. I saw that they are together." Ilay's relief washed away when he watched the video a second time. "I saw how starved they are. They are half the men they used to be. And you could see in their eyes that they are exhausted, and they are begging for their lives," Ilay told Fox News Digital. "They are broken, both of them, broken men." "They saw freedom, and they shut the door in their faces. And they threw them back into the tunnels. And that's cruelty." Israeli Hostages' Families Sue Mahmoud Khalil, Columbia Organizers As Alleged 'Hamas' Propaganda Arm' In Nyc Ilay's concerns about his brother have only grown since former hostages who were held with Evyatar detailed the conditions in which they were held. He told Fox News Digital that the former hostages said the two men have been underground in the tunnels for most of their captivity and were only able to see sunlight when they were taken to the ceremony. As is the case with most hostages, Evyatar and Guy are given very little to eat and have limited access to water. "But it's only a matter of time until — I don't know — one of the terrorists would just... be angry or upset. So, he will decide that he wants to execute, execute Evyatar or Guy. And I don't want to think about it, but it happened already," Ilay told Fox News Digital, likely referring to the six hostages who were shot dead in late August 2024, just before Israeli troops were able to reach them. Ilay told Fox News Digital he has done everything possible to tell his brother's story and to make him "visible," including going to Washington, D.C., to meet with American lawmakers. He believes President Donald Trump has a "very big role" to play in securing the release of Evyatar and the remaining hostages. "[Trump], no kidding, may be sent by God to save these people," Ilay said. He cited the release of 33 hostages over the course of the ceasefire deal that only recently fell apart, and said that if it weren't for Trump, those people would still be in Gaza. Ilay told Fox News Digital that, in his eyes, the atrocities of Oct. 7 have not ended — they are still happening for the people held by Hamas in article source: His brother's keeper: Ilay David warns his brother, Hamas hostage Evyatar, is running out of time
Fox News
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
His brother's keeper: Ilay David warns his brother, Hamas hostage Evyatar, is running out of time
Evyatar David, a music lover who dreams of working in the industry, is languishing in a Hamas tunnel, according to his brother, Ilay David. In a recent conversation with Fox News Digital, Ilay warned that his brother and all the hostages are running out of time. "Every week we used to play music together. That's what I miss the most," Ilay told Fox News Digital. He has been fighting for Evyatar's release since Oct. 7, 2023. Ilay described his brother as "the kindest soul I know." On Oct. 7, 2023, Evyatar was at the Nova music festival with three other friends when Hamas' attacks began. Two of Evyatar's friends did not survive the attacks, while he and his best friend, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, were taken hostage. Like many other hostage families, Evyatar's family set up a website to tell the world who he is and why securing his freedom is so crucial. On the website, his family laments that his "vibrant life" was forever changed. There are also videos showcasing Evyatar's guitar skills. In February, the David family received a sign of life that Ilay described as being "shocking and amazing and frightening." Evyatar and Guy were forced to participate in a Hamas propaganda film, a practice the terror group has employed throughout the war. In the video, the two men in their 20s appear frail and tired as they beg for their lives while being forced to watch a hostage release ceremony in Gaza. "When it was finished, I could breathe," Ilay told Fox News Digital as he recalled watching the film for the first time. "I saw them alive. I saw that they are together." Ilay's relief washed away when he watched the video a second time. "I saw how starved they are. They are half the men they used to be. And you could see in their eyes that they are exhausted, and they are begging for their lives," Ilay told Fox News Digital. "They are broken, both of them, broken men." "They saw freedom, and they shut the door in their faces. And they threw them back into the tunnels. And that's cruelty." Ilay's concerns about his brother have only grown since former hostages who were held with Evyatar detailed the conditions in which they were held. He told Fox News Digital that the former hostages said the two men have been underground in the tunnels for most of their captivity and were only able to see sunlight when they were taken to the ceremony. As is the case with most hostages, Evyatar and Guy are given very little to eat and have limited access to water. "But it's only a matter of time until — I don't know — one of the terrorists would just... be angry or upset. So, he will decide that he wants to execute, execute Evyatar or Guy. And I don't want to think about it, but it happened already," Ilay told Fox News Digital, likely referring to the six hostages who were shot dead in late August 2024, just before Israeli troops were able to reach them. Ilay told Fox News Digital he has done everything possible to tell his brother's story and to make him "visible," including going to Washington, D.C., to meet with American lawmakers. He believes President Donald Trump has a "very big role" to play in securing the release of Evyatar and the remaining hostages. "[Trump], no kidding, may be sent by God to save these people," Ilay said. He cited the release of 33 hostages over the course of the ceasefire deal that only recently fell apart, and said that if it weren't for Trump, those people would still be in Gaza. Ilay told Fox News Digital that, in his eyes, the atrocities of Oct. 7 haven't ended — they're still happening for the people held by Hamas in Gaza.
The Guardian
28-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘He looks half the man he was': meeting the brother of an Israeli hostage shown pleading for release in Hamas video
When Hamas brought two captive Israelis to watch Saturday's release of six of their fellow hostages and then beg for their own liberation, it was purposely jabbing at a deeply painful divide in Israeli society. Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal were 22-year-old best friends when they were kidnapped at the Nova music festival on 7 October 2023. The Hamas video showed them sitting in a minivan watching the propaganda-laden handover ceremony, and then turning to the cameras to plead with Benjamin Netanyahu to agree a second phase in the current ceasefire, which would allow the release of all the remaining 59 hostages (only a minority of whom are thought to be still alive). The majority of Israelis and international public opinion, the Trump administration included, want a second phase but, as conceived in the original truce agreement in January, that would involve elements including a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, which could bring down Netanyahu's rightwing coalition. An Israeli delegation at talks in Cairo on Friday is reported to have called for a six-week extension to the first phase of the ceasefire. According to Egyptian media, it would involve further hostage releases in exchange for hundreds more Palestinians held in Israeli jails, but it would postpone military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Hamas is said to have rejected the proposal. For Ilay David, Evyatar's older brother, the video was confirmation of an emotional certainty that the family had held on for the 16 months since the outbreak of war: he was alive. 'It was the first ever sign of life,' Ilay said. 'We had this feeling that he's OK and he's surviving. I had no doubt, but seeing it was amazing. For me, it was like oxygen.' For his family, the joy of seeing Evyatar alive was marred by his appearance, and the intense suffering it implied. 'He looks half the man he was. He looks starved. He looks exhausted,' Ilay said. He has talked to released hostages who were held with Evyatar for months and heard about the conditions in narrow, airless tunnels, with starvation rations – 'a pitta a day and two spoonfuls of cheese'. On the other hand, it was a comfort to see Evyatar with his childhood friend, Gilboa-Dalal, with whom he had gone to the music festival, and to know he was not completely alone. Hamas knew very well what it was doing with the video. Seeing these two young men pleading for peace and their release has underlined the human costs Israel will suffer if it goes back to war. Ilay was already spending most of his time campaigning for the ceasefire but said the video had brought even greater urgency to his family's mission. 'It only drives us to do more, to speak with more people, to keep lobbying, to make him more visible – as visible as we can make him,' he said. He recently returned from a lobbying trip to Washington where he met senators, state department officials and, most importantly, Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East who has publicly insisted that the ceasefire continue until all the hostages are free and the bodies of the dead handed over. 'He will try with all of his might to bring back all the hostages, whether it's second phase or another phase or another kind of deal,' Ilay said. 'He's a warm person, very decent, very honest, and Trump relies on him.' All of that does not necessarily mean that Netanyahu will follow Witkoff's guidance, especially if it could break his coalition apart and result in early elections. The Israel Defense Forces are due to withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border eight days into the second phase of the ceasefire. It is a strip of land that Netanyahu has previously deemed to be vital to Israeli security, and abandoning it could well cause a coalition crisis. 'The IDF retreat from Philadelphi – that's a big deal. It's a big asset to Israel, so I don't know what will happen,' Ilay said. 'We understand that these are critical moments. Decisions are being made right now.' As for Netanyahu, he said: 'I count on him to bring the hostages back and I think he understands that to bring them back is … something which goes to the core of the Jewish nation and the ethos of the Israeli state – solidarity and leaving no one behind.' As well as visiting the Trump administration, Ilay has been touring the West Bank, visiting militant settlers, the constituency most adamantly opposed to the ceasefire, seeking to engage anyone who will talk to him. 'We are right now in this weird moment where a lot depends on the pressure that the families can put on the government but also on the public,' he said. 'We try to do whatever we can to speak to politicians and with public leaders and military veterans – anyone who has any influence.'
