On Oct. 7, Gaza militants killed Carmit Palty Katzir's father and took her mother and brother hostage. Her mother was released, but Katzir fears time is running out to get her brother back alive.
Carmit Palty Katzir prepares to speak at a weekly rally in Tel Aviv, Israel, calling for the immediate release of the hostages being held in Gaza, Feb. 17.
Kibbutz Nir Oz was one of the hardest hit places in Israel on Oct. 7. The agricultural community of 400 saw nearly a quarter of its residents killed or kidnapped — 50 killed, 77 kidnapped, with 37 remaining in captivity today. Among them, 27 are believed to be alive, including Elad Katzir.Carmit Palty Katzir in her home in Haifa, Israel, Feb. 18. During the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attacks, Katzir's father, Rami, was killed at Kibbutz Nir Oz. Her mother and brother were taken hostage.
As Israel and Hamas negotiated a hostage and prisoner release deal last fall, Katzir says she was assured by Israeli intelligence that her mother would be among the first to be released. Forty-eight hours before the first phase of the deal was executed in November, Katzir received a phone call from the Israeli army saying it received unverified information that her mother had been killed in captivity and was investigating its legitimacy.
In Israel, critics of the government say it has prioritized eliminating Hamas over returning the hostages. For the families of hostages, the struggle to free their loved ones has become more urgent. Families and released hostages are the loudest voices supporting efforts to expedite another hostage deal and cease-fire with Hamas. As talks led by mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the U.S.
"I feel like a victim of psychological terror by both sides," she says,"not only by the side of Hamas and Jihad, but I'm also a victim of psychological terror of my country, of my government, who is saying just be quiet and don't show the hostages and don't hear what they have to say."Carmit Palty Katzir speaks at a weekly rally in Tel Aviv, calling for the immediate release of the hostages being held in Gaza, Feb. 17.
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