Britain has been warned that it could be next in line for terrorist atrocities as the families of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas told their harrowing tales.
Families of eight of the 134 hostages, including two British subjects, still being held by Hamas in tunnels in Gaza made a heartbreaking appeal at the Israeli embassy in London for their loved ones to be returned to them.
The event took place five months (153 days) after the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel which shocked the world and started the latest war in the Middle East.
Yehuda Cohen, the father of 19-year-old kidnap victim Nimrod Cohen, said: “What happened to us will happen to every other liberal western country. This is just the beginning if they succeed.
“They have done it in the past the bombing in Madrid, the bombings in London and Canada. I mean, this is an international issue, emphasising the Western world. This issue needs to end.”
Cohen’s words came less than a week after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stood on the steps of Downing Street to deliver a warning about the rise of extremism in the UK on the back of George Galloway winning the Rochdale by-election with an anti-Israel campaign and antisemitism marring pro-Palestine demonstrations.
In a terrible twist, the press conference took place as news broke that Hamas had walked out of ceasefire talks in Egypt and refused to accept an agreement which would allow many of the hostages to return home.
Relatives spoke of the horror of what the hostages are going through with tales of rapes by Hamas and denial of medical aid.
They also lashed out at the “hypocrisy” of leading international figures like Michelle Obama or organisations like the Red Cross and United Nations which have failed to speak out for the hostages or intervene to get access to them.
A distraught Orit Meir the mother of hostage Almog Meir, aged 21, was in tears as she emotionally spoke about her son.
She said: “He was loved by everyone. He was sensitive.”
She described how he cared for his grandfather after surgery and had gone to a music festival when the Hamas terrorists attacked.
“Think about how it affects us all. How I miss him. How I miss having a coffee with him. How I miss our conversations.”
Inbach Zach, cousin of Tal Shoham, 39, had described how he had given himself to Hamas in exchange for the lives of his wife and children when the terrorists arrived at their Kibbutz.
Inbach was grieving for seven relatives murdered by the terrorists and three who had been kidnapped.
She feared the worst for those imprisoned in the Gaza tunnels.
She asked of the western media: “Why are you are quiet about everything? How can you sleep at night by knowing that our brothers, your brothers are getting I don’t know what they’re doing there. The ladies to the men to the babies to the kids. As a woman, I’m terrified for everyone.”
One journalist asked if they felt for the families of Palestinian prisoners locked up in Israel.
An outraged Mr Cohen responded: “First of all, Palestinian prisoners – emphasising criminals – are not equal. For their crimes from murdering and shooting and we help the prisoners with all their rights, including visiting of families, fair trial, representation of lawyers.
“You want to compare it to innocent people who are living their lives and were kidnapped. And we don’t even get information are they alive or not or what is their condition.”
He added that the suffering for both sides of the war will end “when the 137 hostages are marched out of Gaza to freedom.”
The other stories told included Diana Levison talking about her 19-year-old grandson Shay who it turned out was killed after defending the border in the IDF. She talked of the pain of not being able to get the body back or go through the Jewish customs.
Describing the conditions for the hostages, she said: “They are not taken care of medically. They are hardly given anything to eat. They don’t see daylight and every extra day is damaging their possibility of coming home alive.
“Please write and say things. We need them back. We didn’t solve them. We didn’t start this war.”
The accounts were opened by Michael Levy brother of Or Levy, 33, who was also kidnapped from a music festival.
He said: “My little brother had to watch his wife murdered before his eyes before he was abducted.”
Yaakov Bohbot spoke of his brother Elkana Bohbot, 34, who had gone to the party with friends and, before losing contact, he spoke to his wife and mother telling them he was helping to evacuate the wounded. Hours later, his family found a video of him posted online by Hamas.
Avivit Abady Yablonka spoke of her sister Chanan Yablonka a father-of-two from Tel Aviv who attended the festival with friends and was due to celebrate his birthday a few days after the attacks.
Gily Ramon, whose sister Yarden Roman-Gat was freed in November, said there was “no connection” between the hostages and the Palestinian prisoners but said he “brings a message of hope” hat hostages can come home.
Michal Cohen spoke of her sister Eliya, 27, who has epilepsy and is being denied medication. He had been caught after he cried out when he was shot in the leg. She does not know if he received medication for his injury.
She said: “I believe we will see our families again. I believe Eliya will come home. He will get married and have a family. But you the press need to publicise wherever possible the distress of the hostages and help us bring them home.”
