In the half-year since she survived the harrowing Hamas assault on October 7, Ziv Abud has dedicated herself entirely to securing the release of her captive boyfriend. Abud, aged 26, and her partner, Eliya Cohen, were among the revelers at the Nova festival when it was brutally attacked by Hamas gunmen.
Tragically, Cohen was seized and remains one of the 130 hostages still held by the group. This violent incident ignited the catastrophic conflict in Gaza.
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“We need more effort, we actually need to do more things in order to release them, because apparently what we are doing is not enough,” said Abud in a square in Tel Aviv that has become a protest spot for families of hostages and their supporters.
“I expected them to arrive home by now, alive, because to return hostages in coffins is not a picture of victory.”
Numerous families of hostages are urging the Israeli government to take all necessary measures to secure their loved ones’ release from Gaza. In an effort to escalate pressure, they have intensified street protests.
Additionally, these families have reached out to Israel’s allies, appealing for greater assistance in their cause. Meanwhile, Egypt is set to host a new round of negotiations on Sunday, with the goal of achieving a truce in Gaza and securing the release of the hostages .
Ziv Abud, clad in a t-shirt adorned with her boyfriend’s image, recounted the harrowing tale of her survival during the Hamas assault.
“I was buried under the bodies for six hours, and after six hours a man came to look for his son. And when he came to look for his son, based on the location his son had sent him, he found me and five other people,” she told Reuters in an interview.
“If he hadn’t come, I might not be alive today either.”, he added
Israel asserts that it will continue its Gaza offensive until all hostages are liberated and Hamas ceases to pose a threat. Meanwhile, Hamas aims to leverage any agreement to bring an end to the conflict and facilitate the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
“I myself have experienced the horrors, I myself am in mourning for my nephew, for my family, and with all of this I still have to get up every morning and think to myself – what I am doing today to release my partner from Gaza?” Abud said.
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