Hostages' Families: We Demand A Deal that Will Ensure the Return of All Hostages

Crowds gathered Saturday night, December 21, at Hostages Square for the weekly families’ rally, under the banner, “A complete nation requires everyone - together!”  

Families of released hostages and those whose bodies have been returned to Israel opened the rally with a message of support to all the families, stressing, “We stand with you until the last hostage returns!” During the rally, the families emphasized their unequivocal demand for a deal that would guarantee the return of every last hostage.  

Hen Avigdori, whose wife Sharon and daughter Noam were released from Hamas captivity, said: “The release of hostages isn’t just about freeing a hundred people from terrible captivity by human monsters – it’s the liberation of us all – it’s all of us emerging from darkness to light, from division to unity, from dwelling on past grievances to building a shared future.”  

Noam Peri, daughter of the late Chaim Peri, noted: “My father was taken alive, he survived with incredible mental strength in captivity, and he could have been saved and brought home through a deal. For us and for 26 other families whose loved ones entered Gaza alive and returned in black bags, the cost of missing an opportunity for a deal is very tangible. Very personal. Very painful.” (INN/VFI News)

“Dear God, we pray continually for all the hostages as well as their families. We stand with them and we ask that You please ensure their immediate return, in Yeshua’s name. May You bring justice for them and return them to their loving families. Until then, we pray that You give them strength and sustain their physical and mental health. May Your loving hand never leave them during this agonizing trial.”