Solidarity march
Photo: Avi Roccah
Hundreds attend solidarity march for Abera Mengistu
After spending 948 days in Hamas captivity since voluntarily crossing the Gaza border in 2014 in an act his family say stemmed from his mental health issues, hundreds rally to remind government of its commitment to securing his release: ‘This is the third holiday without Abera. I have no more strength,' says mother.
Hundreds of people participated in a solidarity march with the Mengistu family in their ongoing efforts to secure the release
of their son Abera, who has been held in captivity by Hamas in the Gaza Strip for 948 days.
The march took place in Ashkelon in order to remind the government of its commitment to bring about Abera’s swift return to his family.
Solidarity march in Ashkelon (Photo: Avi Roccah)
"We have now gone through a third holiday without Abera, and it's too hard to bear," his mother lamented. "I have no more strength to cope with the uncertainty. My son is sick, and I do not know if he is being treated. I have lost hope, I do not sleep at night, and after so long I would expect to begin to hear that something is happening. I don’t believe all the promises from the government."
Abera Mengistu
No word has been heard of Abera’s fate since voluntarily crossing the border into Gaza in September 2014. His family claim that his mental heath issues from which he suffers account for his actions.
(Translated and edited by Alexander J. Apfel)
