The parents of Alon Ohel, one of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, say their son’s likely condition echoes their family's Holocaust trauma, drawing painful comparisons as new footage of other captives highlights the deteriorating situation.
Alon’s great-grandfather, Simcha Ohel, survived Auschwitz and was liberated weighing just 30 kilograms, his family said. Nearly 80 years later, Alon is believed to be suffering from malnutrition, injury and a lack of medical treatment while being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“Have we returned to the Holocaust?” asked Idit Ohel, Alon’s mother, following the release of new Hamas videos showing hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski visibly gaunt and distressed. “Alon looks exactly like we imagine. This isn’t a bad dream — it’s reality.”
No video of Alon has been released since his abduction on October 7, and his family has received no sign of life. They say the silence surrounding his condition only deepens their fears.
Alon’s father, Kobi Ohel, said Simcha, who was born in Poland and survived the Holocaust, rarely spoke of what he endured. “He didn’t use words,” he said. “But at night, he screamed.” Idit added, “Alon has those genes. He knows what it means to survive. He knows what it means not to eat. It’s inherited. He feels me — if I’m strong, he’s strong.”
The family says Alon is surviving not because of humanitarian aid, but thanks to his music, faith and belief that his parents are fighting for him.
Idit sharply criticized both the Israeli government and international community for allowing humanitarian aid to continue flowing into Gaza without demanding the hostages’ release or proof the aid is reaching them. “First and foremost, save the starving,” she said. “Change the goals of this war.”
She expressed frustration that only after new footage was released did attention return to the hostages. “It’s not that the prime minister didn’t know before. He knew. Everyone knew,” she said. “But where is it in the public discourse? Will people talk about it for 90 seconds and move on?”
Despite her grief, Idit said she chooses hope every day. She imagines Alon returning home, healthy and free, performing onstage. “Write an article about his music career in five or six years,” she said. “We imagine that future and it will happen. That’s what keeps me going.”
Ruti Strom, the mother of hostage Eitan Horn, also spoke out following the release of the Hamas videos. “What we saw isn’t new — people have been talking for months about the hostages’ deteriorating conditions. I don’t understand why nothing has been done.”
Strom said she constantly worries about Eitan’s safety. “I know they’re not getting food or water every day. Even when they do, it’s very little — almost nothing. Of course I’m afraid.”
Her other son, Iair, has already been released. Strom said the reunion was bittersweet. “I don’t know why they decided to split my boys,” she said. “It was terrible to see one come back while the other stayed behind. Even then I said — they’re all humanitarian.”
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Strom called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to shift priorities. “He needs to stop the war and bring them home. We know there are still 20 hostages alive. I’m afraid if they don’t come back soon, they won’t all survive. Time is running out, and it’s only getting harder in those tunnels.”
She said she draws strength from the support of Holocaust survivors who have joined the hostages’ families in their campaign. “To see 99-year-old survivors say this must not happen again — it’s powerful,” she said. “They’ve lived through this. I don’t know where they find the strength, but it moves us deeply.”