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As I write these phrases, my coronary heart is heavy. For nearly 500 days, I’ve lived in a nightmare that no mom ought to ever endure. My son, Alon, spent his twenty fourth birthday earlier this week at nighttime tunnels of Hamas, chained, tortured and abused – his second birthday in captivity.
Alon is my eldest son. He has two youthful siblings. He’s stunning, with blond hair and vivid inexperienced eyes. He is additionally an extremely proficient pianist and a delicate younger man with many goals but to satisfy. Alon is a folks particular person – I’m all the time impressed by his capability to attach with others and construct deep bonds. I miss his smile, his voice, his humorousness, and our conversations about life. I miss simply having him with us, watching him make his means on the earth together with his attribute dedication and curiosity.
FATHER OF HAMAS HOSTAGE: LET TRUMP CLOSE DEAL OF THE CENTURY
The Ohel household, with a poster calling for Alon’s launch, from left, his sister Inbar, father Kobi, mom Idit and brother Ronen. (The Hostage and Lacking Households Discussion board)
On Oct. 7, 2023, Alon attended the Nova music festival. When the assault started, he and others sought refuge in what we now tragically name the “loss of life shelter.” Out of 27 folks hiding there, solely seven survived. 4 have been kidnapped: my son Alon, Or Levy, Eliya Cohen and Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Or was simply launched this previous weekend, Eliya is about to be launched later this month, and Hersh was tragically executed in captivity. And my son? Regardless of his extreme accidents and deteriorating situation, he’s not even included within the present section of releases.
Eli Sharabi, who had been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, is escorted by Hamas fighters earlier than being handed over to the Pink Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photograph/Abdel Kareem Hana)
This previous Saturday, once I watched the discharge of Or Levy – who was kidnapped along with Alon – together with Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben-Ami from captivity, I collapsed. One thing that hadn’t occurred to me as soon as up to now 16 months. I burst into tears that I could not cease for hours. It was so surprising to see them and the horrible state they have been in, so emaciated, pale, with sunken eyes. I attempted to think about my Alon, my stunning boy. How does he look now?
Emaciated Israeli hostages, from left, Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levy are taken by terrorists to a stage earlier than being handed over to the Pink Cross on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)
That very same night, to my nice pleasure, I obtained a message – the primary signal of life since Oct. 7. Together with this got here the horrifying descriptions of the circumstances by which he’s being held. He was with Or and Eli all through their time in captivity. He has been restrained with iron shackles throughout his complete captivity, limiting his motion. He has a extreme harm to his eye, with a international physique lodged in it, leaving him in a position to see solely shadows. There are additionally shrapnel embedded in his arms and neck which have been left untreated. He, just like the others, receives barely one piece of bread per day. Nearly 500 days in full darkness.
And he’s nonetheless there – not even included within the present section of the deal. How is my son, chained and wounded, not thought of a “humanitarian case”?
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Alon Ohel was on the Nova Music Competition when he was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists and dropped at Gaza. (The Hostage and Lacking Households Discussion board)
I’m deeply grateful to President Trump for his extraordinary efforts in securing the hostage deal. In a matter of weeks, he achieved what appeared unimaginable, bringing a lot of our family members again dwelling. His unwavering stance has been clear and highly effective – all hostages should be launched, and so they should be launched now. He understands they haven’t any time left. There are nonetheless about 20 dwelling hostages, together with my son, who aren’t included within the first section of releases.
President Trump has already confirmed he could make the unimaginable doable. Our hope for Alon’s return, and the return of all remaining hostages, rests strongly with him. These efforts, alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s work, have reunited households and saved lives.
Alon’s great-grandfather survived Auschwitz, weighing simply 38 kilos when liberated. He got here to Israel and constructed a lovely household. Maybe it is this resilient DNA that retains Alon alive now, as he endures circumstances that echo the darkest chapters of our folks’s historical past. However how can we, in 2025, enable such struggling to proceed?
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The tunnels the place my son is held are darkish, however our dedication to carry him dwelling should shine brighter than ever. I refuse to let Alon mark one other birthday in captivity. I refuse to let him turn into one other statistic on this brutal saga. Deliver them dwelling now. Deliver my son dwelling now. Earlier than it is too late.
