TEL AVIV (Reuters) – Within the six months since she survived Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault by hiding beneath a pile of our bodies at an outside music pageant turned killing discipline in southern Israel, Ziv Abud has devoted all her time to releasing her hostage boyfriend.
Abud, 26, and her boyfriend Eliya Cohen had been amongst party-goers on the Nova pageant that was attacked by Hamas gunmen. Cohen was taken captive and is among the many over 130 individuals nonetheless being held. Hamas’ assault sparked the devastating conflict in Gaza.
“We want extra effort, we really have to do extra issues so as to launch them, as a result of apparently what we’re doing is just not sufficient,” stated Abud in a sq. in Tel Aviv that has develop into a protest spot for households of hostages and their supporters.
“I anticipated them to reach residence by now, alive, as a result of to return hostages in coffins is just not an image of victory.”
Many hostages’ households are demanding the Israeli authorities does no matter it takes to safe their launch from Gaza and try to extend strain by stepping up avenue protests. They’ve additionally petitioned Israel’s allies to do extra to assist their trigger.
Egypt on Sunday will host a contemporary spherical of negotiations geared toward attaining a Gaza truce and hostage launch deal.
Abud, carrying a t-shirt with an image of her boyfriend, recounted how she survived the Hamas assault.
“I used to be buried beneath the our bodies for six hours, and after six hours a person got here to search for his son. And when he got here to search for his son, based mostly on the situation his son had despatched him, he discovered me and 5 different individuals,” she informed Reuters in an interview.
“If he hadn’t come, I may not be alive at present both.”
Israel says it is not going to cease its Gaza offensive till all hostages are freed and Hamas is not a menace. Hamas has sought to parlay any deal into an finish to the combating and withdrawal of Israeli forces.
“I personally have skilled the horrors, I personally am in mourning for my nephew, for my household, and with all of this I nonetheless need to rise up each morning and assume to myself – what I’m doing at present to launch my associate from Gaza?” Abud stated.
(Reporting by Rami Amichay; Modifying by Ros Russell)
