About 40 children were abducted to Gaza, and in recent days as part of the temporary ceasefire deal, mothers and children were released from captivity, but 8 children still remain in captivity in Gaza. It's hard to describe the magnitude of the pain for parents who have been looking forward to welcoming their children back each of the past few days — and were disappointed to find that they weren't on the list.
The 13 abductees released in the second phase are transferred to the Red Cross // Photo: Use in accordance with section 27A of the Copyright Law
Ariel (4) Kfir (10 months) Bibas.
The redheaded children, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 10 months, who were kidnapped from Nir Oz, became a symbol of the abducted children, when a video of their abduction together with their mother Shiri (32) was circulated on social media. They were abducted together with their father Yarden (34). Yesterday, IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari referred to the fact that the family is being held by non-Hamas factions in Khan Yunis, saying that "the responsibility lies with Hamas. All international organizations must exert all their weight and demand access to them."
Bibbs family. Father Yarden, mother Shiri and sons Ariel and Kfir, photo: courtesy of the family
Their family member Elon Keshet recently wrote a column in Israel Hayom, where he said: "We haven't seen them for so long. We worry and miss so much. The fear for their lives is unbearable. We haven't heard anything about their situation yet. And there is so much question - do they eat? How are they treated? Are they even together?. We dream of the moment we will see them again. That we can embrace each of them. To see Kfir grow and develop with his gorgeous smile, and Ariel playing in cars and running around again."
Second Associate (16)
Amit Shani (16), an eleventh grader from Bari, was in the safe room with his mother and sisters, Hamas terrorists infiltrated his home, broke down the safe room door, grabbed Amit and took him with them, setting fire to the family home. Amit, an excellent student, a lover of running and surfing, marked his 16th birthday in Hamas captivity.
Second Amit, Photo: Uncredited
The Shani family is waiting for his arrival, in an interview with Israel, when he still hoped he would return in the first four days, his father Nir said: "What we are going through now is no different from what we have been through in all the past weeks, we are maybe a little more optimistic. I can't wait and can imagine the first hug with a colleague, I'm always there. Our house burned down and we are currently in a hotel on the Dead Sea, we will not return to the house in the foreseeable future and when Amit arrives, he will be with us at the hotel."
Ofir Angel (17)
Ofir Angel (17) from Kibbutz Ramat Rachel was kidnapped from his girlfriend's home in Bari, where his family is waiting for him. His father Yoav recently told Israel Hayom that: "Ofir has several loves, the first to play basketball, he is a pretty tall guy who was an active basketball player in Hapoel Jerusalem over the years. Ofir loves to travel, last June we both did a big trek in Slovenia. Another common love of ours is paddle boarding, we have two surfboards at home and on weekends we used to go surfing. We're father and son and good friends and I can't wait for him to come home so we can surf together again."
Ofir Angel, photo: courtesy of the family
At home, Ofir is waiting for his father Yoav, his mother Sharon and two other sisters alongside family and friends. On the same Saturday that he was kidnapped, he stayed in Bari with the Sharabi family. "In the afternoon we were in contact with the family who were in the safe room. At a certain point, the connection was cut off, and in the evening the mother of a friend of Ofir's called and told me that terrorists had taken them out of the safe room, led them along the kibbutz paths and in the end kidnapped the boys – they put the father of the family, Yossi Sharabi, our Ofir and others in a car." Since Ofir was kidnapped, the Engel family has stopped working, and they are trying to work for his release in every possible way: "We expect the government to bring Ofir and the other abductees home now, with each passing day the price we pay increases."
Liam Or (18)
was abducted from the youths' residence in Kibbutz Re'im after terrorists pulled him out of bed on the morning of October 18. On the morning of the attack, his loved ones were on the line, heard the fear and apprehension and witnessed the moments of terror when he was brutally taken from his room. At the same time, his two cousins, Noam and Alma Or, and his uncle Dror from Kibbutz Be'eri were kidnapped. The cousins returned, while the father remained kidnapped in Gaza with Liam.
Liam Orr, photo: uncredited
His family tells of him that he is a smiling and sensitive, funny and honest boy - the salt of the earth. He worked as a gardener in a kindergarten on the kibbutz, a job in which he could express his great sensitivity, caring and listening to words, facial expressions and heart. Liam is a fan of Hapoel Tel Aviv, red in soul, has not lost a single game and is a chess champion.
Itay Regev (18)
18-year-old Itai Regev was kidnapped from the party in Re'im (Nova) along with his sister Mia, who was released from captivity wounded. On the morning of the party, on Friday, the Regev family (the mother, brothers Mia and Itai and Guy, the youngest brother, 14) landed from a vacation in Mexico. The family came home and Mia and Itai went out. When the attack began, they tried to escape, contacted their father and were later kidnapped.
Regev Brothers. Itai is still in captivity, Mia has been released, photo: courtesy of the family
Their mother told Israel Hayom last month: "When the attack began, they called Ilan, their father, and still didn't understand that there were terrorists. At a quarter to nine in the morning, Mia called in fear, crying, saying, 'I'm being shot, I'm being shot, I'm dead.' Since then, contact with them has been cut off and we have been told that they have been kidnapped. So far, we've seen a video of Itai being kidnapped."
Upon Mia's return to Israel, Mirit Regev said: "Today, a few hours after our Mia's release, we experience immense happiness on the one hand, and complexity on the other. Itai is still kidnapped and we are at the forefront of the struggle to reunite the family and hope for his return home as soon as possible."
Gali Tereshchansky (13)
Gali Tereshchansky, 13, was abducted from her home in Kibbutz Be'eri, before she was kidnapped she managed to send her mother the message "We are going to die" from inside the safe room. She and her older brother Lior hid there together, Lior was murdered. Gali was kidnapped. Her beloved dog, Moka, was also murdered.
In a letter written to her and Alma Or (who has since returned) her friends on the occasion of Children's Day and published in Israel Hayom, it was written: "We have no way of describing our longing for you, the worry, anger, sadness but most of all the helplessness that you are there and we are here," the friends wrote. "Come back our beautiful friends, we can't imagine that they took you out of your house, the place that was supposed to be the safest. We don't want to think about what you're going through right now there in Gaza. Every minute you're gone, the longing grows, but with all the despair and worry, there's still a glimmer of hope. Hope that you will come back and reunite and that we will return to the way we used to be. We promise that we do not forget you for a moment and do everything possible to make you return as quickly as possible. Gali and Alma, we are waiting for you."
Maya Limeberg (17)
Maya Leimberg from Jerusalem was kidnapped together with her mother, Gabriella Menir Yitzhak, where they were staying. Gabriella's two brothers, Fernando and Clara Merman, and Luis Hare, Clara's boyfriend, were kidnapped. When the attack began, the family hid in the safe room. The terrorists broke in, kidnapped them and took them to Gaza. After Mia's father was kidnapped, Shema began searching for Mia's dog to wait for her to return. The dog was with them on the kibbutz and was apparently picked up by volunteers who gave her up for adoption.
As part of the struggle for the release of the daughter and mother of adults with autism from the SHEKEL therapeutic day center at Eyal Farm, in Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, distributed a special video for her release from Hamas captivity, the director of the day center is Gabriella Leimberg,
Aisha Elziadene (17)
Aisha al-Ziadne (17) from the Bedouin diaspora near Rahat was abducted along with three members of her family, Yosef's father, who worked in a cowshed on Kibbutz Holim, and her two brothers Hamza (22) and Bilal (21).
On the Saturday of October 17, daughter Aisha, <>, who was recently engaged to a member of the tribe and is supposed to be married in a few months, joined the work. The terrorists abducted her even though she is a religious Muslim and wears a headscarf.
For some time, the family did not want to reveal the daughter's photo, and the women of the family are not interviewed about the case. After the abduction, the network flooded with calls not to forget her because of her confessed origin and to work for her release.
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