An entire country was moved late Saturday by the return of 13 abductees as part of the second portion of Israel’s hostage release deal with Hamas. Unfortunately, some of them had to say goodbye to family members who remain captives of the terrorist group.
Adi Shoma, 34, her eight-year-old son Noah, and her three-year-old daughter Yahel from Ma’ale Tzvia were returned to Israel after 50 days in the captivity of the Gaza-based terrorist group, but were forced for now to say goodbye to the family’s 38-year-old husband and father, Tal Shoham.
Mia Regev, 21, from Herzliya, who was abducted from the Supernova rave in Re’im, was admitted to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba after being returned to Israel last night in need of complex treatment; her 18-year-old brother, Itay, who was at the party with her, remains a prisoner of Hamas.
Mirit Regev, Mia’s mother, said: “I am excited and happy that Mia is on her way to us. However, my heart is broken because my son is still [in] Gaza, a prisoner of Hamas. I am going to hug Mia tightly; we will not stop [advocating for them] until [all of] the abductees return home.”
Violating the agreement
Similarly, 17-year-old Noam Or and his 14-year-old sister Alma from Kibbutz Be’eri, whose mother Yonat was murdered in the massacre, also returned in the second round of the release of the abductees, while their father Dror and their 18-year-old cousin, Liam, remained behind.
Shiri Weiss, 53, and her 18-year-old daughter, Noga, were also kidnapped from their home in Kibbutz Be’eri and returned to Israel; the husband and father of the family, Ilan, has been missing since the attack.
Hila Rotem Shoshani, 13, who was also kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri, also returned to Israel, but had to leave her 54-year-old mother, Raya.
This is a violation of the agreement by Hamas, which pledged not to separate mothers from their children.