The mother of Tamir Nimrodi, the only Israeli hostage still listed as alive but unaccounted for in Gaza, voiced growing anguish Tuesday over the uncertainty surrounding her son’s fate and concern that the state may be giving up on him.
“We haven’t spoken to the media in the past two days because we were hoping to get some certainty, which never came,” Herut Nimrodi told Ynet. “Tamir is the only one without a sign of life, yet still with grave concern for his life. I thought by now we would know what happened to him. I never imagined we’d still be in this vague situation, without knowing how to move forward.”
Nimrodi, 20, was kidnapped from the Gaza Coordination and Liaison Administration base during the Hamas-led assault on Oct. 7, less than a month before his 19th birthday. Two of his fellow soldiers, Ron Sherman and Nik Beizer, were also abducted and have since been declared dead and returned for burial. Tamir's status remains officially unchanged: “in grave danger,” but not confirmed dead, making him the last unaccounted-for hostage in this category.
His mother warned that public interest may be fading. “Will I never know what happened to Tamir? Will he suddenly reappear in two years? How do we move on when the Knesset speaker takes off the hostage pin and declares it’s over? I’m afraid we’ll lose support. Who will still come to the square on Saturday night? Has the government given up? Is Israel accepting this situation? Will there be more Ron Arads? The nightmare isn’t over, and I’m exhausted. There are so many questions and no answers. I never imagined we’d remain in such a fog, with no sense of direction.”
Despite the conclusion of the most recent hostage deal, which saw the release of 20 living captives and the return of eight bodies, she stressed that no formal declaration has been made in her son’s case. “There’s been no declaration of death. No professional authority has deemed Tamir a fallen soldier, and Hamas hasn’t proven he’s dead. So, officially, he’s still considered alive—and that’s absurd.”
Herut described the emotional toll of the ambiguity. “I was mentally prepared for two outcomes. Either Tamir would return alive or he would come back as a fallen soldier. But we got nothing. My son is an IDF soldier left behind, abandoned on the front and now in Gaza.”
His father, Alon Nimrodi, earlier emphasized that Tamir remains officially alive. “From the first day, Tamir has been listed as a living hostage, and that remains the case today, despite the heavy uncertainty. As long as nothing else is proven, that’s the truth. Bibi normalized the number 20 instead of 22.” He added that the family has received no new information and urged the public not to spread rumors.
After Tamir’s abduction, soldiers found a note in his uniform that read: “To succeed in helping many people, to create a close social circle, not to harm anyone.” The note was discovered by fellow soldier Romi Efrat last Saturday. “Such powerful words,” she said. “They say everything about who you are, Tamir.”
Tamir is the eldest son of Herut and Alon Nimrodi, and brother to Mika and Amit. His family continues to press for answers, refusing to let his case fade into silence.