As political leaders discuss long-term strategies for Gaza, the families of 13 Israeli hostages confirmed killed but still held in the enclave live in a suspended reality—marked by fear, sleepless nights and a desperate demand for closure. Their plea is not just for news, but for action.
Ruby Chen, father of Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, told Ynet of his pain and frustration: “Yesterday we met with Matan Angrest. It was hard. The mix of emotions is impossible to describe. I’m expecting the worst phone call of my life—and when it doesn’t come, I’m disappointed.”
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Thirteen hostages remain in Hamas captivity
(Photo: IDF, Hostages and Missing Families Forum)
Chen has little patience for rhetoric. “We don’t buy what Hamas is saying. We haven’t forgotten that they murdered and kidnapped them. They know where they put them. It’s hard to bring them back, but the relevant tools must be employed to retrieve the bodies.” He asked plainly, “Where is the State of Israel’s commitment to bring them home?”
The majority of the fallen hostages still held in Gaza are those who were on the front lines on October 7—soldiers, officers, alert squad members and police officers. They acted without waiting for orders, standing between the attackers and entire communities. “These are our heroes—[Capt. Omer] Neutra, Oz Daniel, Itay, Hadar Goldin, [Col. Assaf] Hamami, [Lior] Rudaeff, [Sgt. First Class Ran] Gvili who was a police officer, part of the alert team. These are the brave soldiers who fought for us,” Chen said.
Rotem Cooper, son of Amiram Cooper, compared the wait to a horror game. “You don’t sleep well because you’re waiting for a phone call that might finally say Dad is coming home. It feels like a horror game. You never know which hostage might come back, or when.” He acknowledged the waning public support as time passes since the last hostage release but emphasized the families’ solidarity: “The families who’ve already gotten loved ones back are committed to supporting the rest of us.”
The slogan "Until the Last Hostage" is now being put to the test, Cooper added. “Those words were deeply understood by Elad Katzir, of blessed memory, who for years went out weekly to the Black Arrow monument to remind everyone there are hostages in Gaza. That slogan isn’t just a catchphrase, it’s the essence of the struggle.”
US Vice President JD Vance on the release of the hostages
(Video: U.S. Embassy Jerusalem)
Shira Gvili, sister of Sgt. First Class Ran Gvili, spoke of growing anxiety: “The past few days haven’t been easy. Constant worry and a sense of going backward—into fear and anxiety. We’ve been fighting tooth and nail for over two years. It only gets harder because it feels like we’ve been left behind.” She made a clear demand: “A deal must be made so that everyone comes back. Leaving Ran behind means leaving us behind.”
Ayelet Goldin, sister of fallen soldier Lt. Hadar Goldin, appealed directly to the public and leadership: “I’m calling on all of you—take to the streets, come to the rallies, don’t let this disappear from the agenda. The State of Israel has the information on where each of them is. It has the leverage over Hamas to bring back every citizen.” She warned that inaction would lead to more tragedies. “If we don’t act now, there will be twelve more Hadar Goldins. ‘Until the last hostage’ must become a real test, not just a slogan on a T-shirt.”
Ronen Neutra, father of Capt. Omer Neutra, called the current reality “prolonged terror”: “Total uncertainty, conflicting reports, scraps of information—most of which turn out to be false. It’s prolonged terror that families are forced to live in while functioning somehow.”
Neutra described his meeting with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance as significant: “Aside from thanks and hugs, it meant something. We know they’re committed and trying to push both sides to bring our loved ones home.” Still, he emphasized the fragility of the moment: “The responsible adult in the room is the Americans.” Even the intelligence, he said, is vague and unreliable. “Some of the hostages will be hard to locate. There’s partial information, but no certainty.”
Expressing disappointment in the Israeli government, Neutra added, “When public officials take down hostage pins and flags, it shows we’re up against forces trying to move on and call it a victory. But it’s not over. You can’t lie to us forever.” He has been fighting for two years for the right to bury his son. “My child—this hero—I’ve been fighting for two years to give him a proper burial? We just want a grave to cry at. It’s absurd.”