Dozens of women, children and teenagers being held hostage in Gaza were freed during a weeklong cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. Now that the truce has collapsed and fighting has resumed, relatives of the men still in captivity fear their loved ones will be forgotten.
Since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks, Israelis have rallied by the thousands for the return of the roughly 240 hostages taken during the assault. Negotiations for a hostage swap in exchange for Palestinian prisoners were centered from the beginning on women, children and teenagers, eventually leading to the release of 105 hostages.
That leaves more than 100 men among the people believed to still be held in Gaza.
“As soon as you leave just men behind, somehow it matters less to people,” said Tomer Or, 29, whose 30-year-old brother Avinatan is still held. “The headline is less attention-grabbing.”
Ms. Or’s brother was taken hostage at an outdoor music festival along with his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, 25. Both are among the 137 hostages still in captivity — 117 of whom are male, according to Israeli officials.
Ms. Or said that like all Israelis she celebrated the return of those who have been freed, but that the emphasis on children and women in negotiations sent the wrong message.
“The government is responsible to care for all of its citizens equally,” Ms. Or said. “It cannot ignore men. They aren’t second-class citizens.”
Negotiations for releases of the remaining men collapsed with the two sides unable to agree on how to differentiate between soldiers and civilians, according to Israeli officials. At 18, most Israeli men must serve in the military for just under three years, after which some continue reporting periodically for reserve duty until their early 40s.
Ms. Or’s brother, Avinatan, is not an active duty soldier. He is an electrical engineer who builds computer chips.
Gershon Baskin
The male hostages will be a sticking point in any future negotiations, said Gershon Baskin, an Israeli peace activist who played a key role in the negotiations that led to the 2011 release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was held captive for five years.
Not only does Hamas expect Israel to release high-profile Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the men, but they also want a complete cease-fire and a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, Mr. Baskin said. This is a price Israel is not willing to pay, he said.
“Right now, I don’t see any way of getting them back,” he added.
Ilay David, 29, whose 22-year-old brother Evyatar was kidnapped on Oct. 7, was trying to remain optimistic. He said it hurts to think that people like his brother, a shift manager at a restaurant, must continue waiting, but he takes solace in the fact that a deal happened in the first place, and he is now more confident that the Israeli government would be open to negotiating another deal.
He said it had motivated him to continue participating in rallies to press for the release of the remaining hostages.
“I understand the process will be long and painful,” he said, but “I don’t have a choice but to stay hopeful and to continue what I’m doing.”
Originally Published at
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/12/05/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news?smid=url-share#israeli-families-fear-for-the-men-still-held-in-gaza
