In each of the five families that returned from captivity on Monday evening, a father was left in Gaza, who was abducted together with the children or at the same time as them. The children were released alone, in some cases with their mother and in some cases into their mother's arms. Twins Emma and Yuli Cuneo (3) were returned together with their mother Sharon, but their father David - also a twin brother - was not released.
"David must return to his family. This situation is very difficult and impossible," David's twin brother Eitan said yesterday. "You have to remember that every kidnapped man in Gaza also has parents, they are also someone's children. Everyone needs to be returned. I understand the prioritization, but we must not forget them and we must continue to bring them all back."
Returning Home: The Abductees from the Fourth Stage on their Way to Israel // Arab Networks
The Engel family, Karina (51) and her two daughters Mika (18) and Yuval (11), were also released, while Ronen Habba (55) remained in captivity. The brothers Or (16) and Vigil (12) Yaakov were also released, while their father Yair, who was kidnapped separately from them, remained in Gaza. The brothers Sahar (16) and Yair (12) Calderon were also released, while their abducted father Ofer Calderon remained in Hamas hands, as was Eitan Yahalomi (12), who was released while his father Ohad was kidnapped.
"The job was not completed"
The deal to return the abductees has led to an impossible situation for the families: the agreement on the release of only women and children left behind the men, young and old, who were abducted to Gaza on 7 October. These are entire families – sometimes parents and their children, sometimes father and son – from which only the children are released, according to the summary, while the men remain in Hamas captivity, and it is not known when they will return.
"No one is left behind." Noam and Alma Or at the time of their release, photo: Reuters
One of the most prominent stories about the non-return of the father of the family is that of the Or family. Dror (48) was abducted with his two children, Noam (17) and Alma (13), but while most of the children who were released returned to their mother's bosom, Noam and Alma now have nowhere or anyone to return to: their mother Yonath was murdered in a Hamas attack, their father remained in captivity, and their home was burned to ashes by the terrorists.
After the children returned home, the Or family noted that "the work is not complete - no one is left behind. Liam (cousin) and Dror are still in captivity."
Only on the day of liberation did they discover that Grandpa was alive
While an entire country was excited to see Naveh, 8, and his sister Yahel, 3, holding a little teddy bear, returning to Israel with their mother Adi (38), their father Tal Shoham (38) remained far away from them inside the Gaza Strip. The family, from the community of Ma'ale Tzvia in the Lower Galilee, came that terrible Saturday to visit grandmother Shoshan Haran and was kidnapped from the safe room by armed terrorists who infiltrated the house.
Moved many. Yahel Shoham, 3 years old, photo: None
In the first phase of liberation, three generations of the Munder family were released – Ruthie the grandmother (78), Keren Hamm (54), and Ohad, who celebrated his 9th birthday in captivity – but Avraham Munder (78), Keren's father and Ruthi's husband, was not released despite his age. "We have mixed feelings," says his nephew Eyal Mor. "On the one hand, I am happy about the return of Ruthi, Keren and Ohad, and on the other hand, I am anxious about the fate of my uncle Avraham, who is an unhealthy man.
"We can say that he was not in captivity with them. In fact, when they returned, they received happy news - because only on the day of liberation itself did they discover that he was alive. They thought he had been murdered. One of the abductees who was released told us he was in good condition."
Watch the documentation: IDF pilots with Ohad Munder during his return to Israel // Photo: IDF Spokesperson
Eyal, one of the activists in the struggle to free the hostages, adds: "We were and still are very active, and we do not intend to stop. Karen is not yet in a position to join us, but when she can she will return to fight for her father.
"She goes from being abducted to being a family member of a kidnapped. There's no age for wanting Daddy's hug, especially if you feel like you need to look after him — and that's what she feels."
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