Hundreds of people gathered Saturday night in the Karmi Gat neighborhood of Kiryat Gat for what organizers called the final rally by the community of Kibbutz Nir Oz calling for the return of hostages held in Gaza.
“There are no more hostages in enemy territory,” declared Irit Fokker, a resident of Nir Oz, drawing a moment of stunned silence before cheers erupted from the crowd. Some attendees wept, others smiled, as the community marked the end of a campaign that had stretched on for months.
Nir Oz was among the hardest-hit communities in the Oct. 7 attack, in which 65 residents were killed and 76 abducted. After the attack, surviving residents were evacuated first to Eilat and later, in early 2024, to temporary housing in Karmi Gat.
The first rally was held on April 6, 2024, the day the community learned that hostage Elad Katzir had been killed in captivity. From that point on, residents gathered every Saturday night to press for the return of those still held and to keep public attention focused on their fate.
Saturday’s rally also included calls for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the events surrounding the attack.
The event concluded with speeches by brothers David and Ariel Cunio, the last living hostages from Nir Oz who were held in Gaza and later released. As they stepped onto the stage, their mother, Silvia, shouted, “They’re here!”
Ariel Cunio said standing before the crowd was something he never imagined while in captivity. “Three and a half months ago, I was in complete darkness, utterly alone, at the mercy of terrorists,” he said. “Today I’m here with my brother, surrounded by so many incredible people.”
David Cunio spoke of despair and fear during his captivity, including doubts that he would survive or see his children again. “There were nights I didn’t know if I would ever see daylight,” he said. He credited security forces and public support for sustaining him. “Even in the deepest darkness, we knew you were there. That knowledge gave us the strength to hold on another day, another night.”
Ariel Cunio said the return of the final hostage from Gaza, Ran Gvili, whose body was recently brought back, closed a painful chapter for the community. He added that just as Nir Oz must rebuild its home, the country must rebuild itself “not only physically, but with mutual responsibility, compassion and the courage to choose a shared path of repair.”