Hila Rotem, 13, who was released on Saturday after 50 days in Hamas captivity, is celebrating her birthday in the hospital today with her friends who came to visit her. The joy is mixed with sadness because her mother, Raya, was separated from her in violation of the terms of the release deal and she remains captive to the terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip.
Lilach Hadad, Raya Rotem's friend, who remained held captive by Hamas, photo: Lilach Hadad
Lilach Hadad, a friend of Raya Rotem (Hila's mother), told Israel Hayom about Hila's struggle and the stories she tells from her 7 weeks in captivity.
"She whispers. Mostly whispering. Because she had to keep quiet for two months. She says it was very scary. The way they were taken. She says that all the days she was with her mother until two days before the liberation she was separated," Haddad says.
She goes on to describe the situation of the abductees in captivity and the daily conduct in captivity among the abductees. "There was little food. Water from a well and not from a tap. Food mostly canned. Clothes not in their size. They had to be quiet all the time."
Shimon Yaish
Just before the release and transfer of the hostages to the Red Cross, she was separated from her mother and taken without knowing where or why. Only later did it emerge that she had been released and returned to Israel while her mother, Raya, remained held captive by Hamas. "She said she managed to hug her mother and they broke up crying."
The late Narcissus Hand, Emily Hand's mother who was also released in the swap, was a good friend in Raya's town of Bari (still held captive by Hamas). For a long time, Israel did not know what happened to little Emily, while her sister and father waited in Israel without the murdered mother.
Lilach Haddad (right), friend of Ra'ya Rotem who remained held captive by Hamas, photo: Lilach Hadad
Lilach Hadad talks about the connection between the families and the return from death: "Narkis Hand was my best friend. The person who adopted Emily as a daughter. The story that she was murdered and came back from the dead is wow. Immediately after this Shabbat I developed a theory and it didn't suit me that Raya and Hila were kidnapped and Emily was murdered, it didn't fit my theory that there were squads that came to loot. There were squads that came to murder. And there were squads that came to kidnap. So it's unlikely that they'll want to murder Emily."
Hila Rotem Shoshani meets with her uncle after she was released, Photo: Report
In the meantime, Hila's friends came to the hospital to make her a little happy on her birthday and together with her the people of Israel are waiting for her to be reunited very soon with her mother who was left behind in Hamas captivity, in the hope that the long-awaited day will soon come.
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us