In Israel, the distress of the families of the hostages after months of waiting

"I feared this outcome but I would have loved it so much! that çit ends differently", confides Avivit Yablonka, a few minutes before the start of the funeral of her brother Chanan, whose body wasé ;eacute; ramen&eac; Friday from Gaza after 230 days in the hands of Hamas.

Chanan Yablonka, 42, was killed on October 7 while trying to flee the Nova music festival, the scene of a massacre by Hamas commandos that left 364 people dead.

Israelis attend the funeral of Chanan Yablonka, whose body was brought back from Gaza after 230 days in the hands of Hamas, on May 26, 2024 in Tel Aviv © AFP – Menahem Kahana

In one week, the Israeli army announced the death of eight hostages who were presumed alive, five Israelis, two Thais and a Franco-Mexican, and brought back to Israel the bodies of seven people, including the remains had been held since October 7 in Gaza.

Dozens of relatives of hostages gathered in front of the house of Chanan Yablonka's parents for a silent march until the Kyriat Shaoul cemetery in Tel Aviv. Around them, thousands of people walked waving Israeli flags.

In the wake of the hearse, the compact crowd applauded.

“We have to bring everyone home,” says Avivit Yablonka, who dedicates this march to her brother and calls for “the release of all the hostages”.

Avivit Yablonka, the sister of Chanan Yablonka, speaks during the funeral of her brother whose body was brought back from Gaza after 230 days in the hands of Hamas, on May 26, 2024 in Tel Aviv © AFP – Menahem KAHANA

“I am optimistic, there are dead hostages and living ones, and they must all come back”, continues this bereaved sister.

The war in the Gaza Strip began on October 7 after the attack on Israeli soil by Hamas commandos infiltrated from Gaza, leading to the death of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count made from of official Israeli figures.

– “I am not giving up” –

Relatives at the funeral of Chanan Yablonka, whose body was brought back from Gaza after 230 days in the hands of Hamas, on May 26, 2024 in Tel Aviv © AFP – Menahem KAHANA

On that day, 252 people were also taken as hostages into the Palestinian territory. After a truce in November which notably allowed the release of around a hundred of them, 121 hostages are still being held in Gaza, of whom 37 are dead, according to the army.

In response, the Israeli army launched a devastating offensive in the Palestinian territory, which left at least 35,903 dead, mainly civilians, according to data from the Ministry of Health of the government of the Gaza Strip ruled by Hamas since 2007. .

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Israelis attend the funeral of Chanan Yablonka, whose body was brought back from Gaza after 230 days in the hands of Hamas, on May 26, 2024 in Tel Aviv © AFP – Menahem KAHANA

Interviewed by AFP a few days before she learned of her brother's death, Ms. Yablonka, 48, said she was “afraid” of such news.

The day before, she was at the funeral of Ron Benjamin, who according to army information, had been captured in the same place as his brother.

“I'm scared, I go from funeral to funeral, I'm so scared, but I have hope, I'm not giving up”, she declared.

Father of two children, Chanan Yablonka had played in his youth for the Hapoel Tel-Aviv soccer club, of which he remained a supporter.

His family had not had any sign of life since October 7 and had been informed that he was in Gaza 90 days after his disappearance.

“We thought they were going to come back alive and they came back in coffins,” her sister said.

Refusing to give in to anger, Ms. Yablonka wants to “believe that the government really wants to bring them all back and that there are difficulties in negotiating with such assassins”, but regrets that no minister or deputy has called her.

< p>– Anger –

On the contrary, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son Sagi is hostage in Gaza, fumes.

“My anger only grows,” he confides to AFP.

Israelis attend the funeral of Chanan Yablonka, whose body was brought back from Gaza after 230 days in the hands of Hamas, on May 26, 2024 in Tel Aviv © AFP – Menahem Kahana

“We see that there is no progress for the return of the hostages (…) Israeli society is with us but the government is not doing enough to bring them home”, regrets this professor of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The anger has not completely consumed Mr. Dekel-Chen who nourishes the hope of find alive his son, kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 and who left behind his pregnant wife and two daughters.

Since his capture, his wife Avital has given birth to a daughter, named Shahar, dawn in Hebrew.

In this kibbutz, around 75 people were captured on the same day.

Every day, Sagi's father says he imagines his son's return, with his grandchildren “Gali, 3 years old, and Bar, 7 years old, running towards him”. He also dreams of his son “heading towards his wife Avital and Shahar, the baby” and finally being able to “embrace him and return to a normal life”.

Israelis attend the funeral of Chanan Yablonka, whose body was brought back from Gaza after 230 days in the hands of Hamas, on May 26, 2024 in Tel Aviv © AFP – Menahem Kahana

“This is my mission, I won't stop until it happens”, he declares.

Walking past At the entrance to the university library, this experienced man comes across the portrait of his son, which has been sitting in front of the reception for months. He stops for a moment to contemplate it, with tears in his eyes.

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