'Bring back our kids': What hostages’ families said before accidental killings by Israel

Israel-Hamas War: The three hostages killed identified as Yotam Haim, Alon Shimriz, and Samer Talalka.

When Avi Shimriz, father of Alon Shimriz, talked to Israel’s Channel 12 earlier this week, he said, “During the day I’m busy with communications and PR. At night, in my bed, I let out my grief. My wife, for most of the day, is sitting and crying.” But the Shimriz family did not know that their son would be killed mistakenly by Israeli troops just one week later as they prayed for his safe release from Hamas captivity.

The family lived on Kibbutz Kfar Aza, from where Alon Shimriz was captured on October 7. “We are a peace-wishing kibbutz. I have no doubt [that there’s someone to speak to on the other side]. Not everyone’s Yahya Sinwar,” he said, as he referred to the man seen as masterminding Hamas’ assault two months ago.

“On the one hand I’m happy for every hostage who came back [alive]. On the other hand, I’m very mad at the decision makers in our government. They should have already released everyone,” Avi Shimriz told Channel 12, adding, “Within our government I don’t trust anyone. Is it their son who is sitting in a tunnel? My son is sitting in a tunnel. My son has no oxygen. My son is having half a pita a day. I want my son here as soon as tomorrow.”

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Alon’s brother, Yonatan, said, “Here in Israel, it’s like speaking to a wall. You can set up demonstrations, hold hands, light candles, make placards, but [the government] just wants to give you the impression it is out of their hands.”

Yotam Haim was also taken from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7. His mother, Iris, told Israel’s Channel 11 earlier this week, “Some people think that if they don’t shout, no one will bring their children back. I tell them: we can do it peacefully and through a respectful dialogue. The children will come back, I have no doubt.”

The government and the army were doing their best, she said, adding, “We see that soldiers are getting killed trying to bring back my son, how can I keep shouting, “do something?”

The third of the kidnapped men killed, Samer Talalka’s father, Fouad visited the United States earlier in the month to talk about his son’s plight.

“Bring back our kids! How long can we take this for? It’s been two months. We families are just hanging. We don’t know anything,” he said.

“Last week, we had hope, because of the truce. And they said they’d get the children and women out, and we waited to see if we’re the next ones to get lucky. And we didn’t have any luck. The high hopes are now on the floor […] and the war has resumed,” he had said.

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