Deep in the tunnels of Hamas, they may not know to hope that the world above them is changing — or that an ocean away, a new administration is coming to power that could very well hold the keys to their release. But maybe, in this rare season where Christmas and Hanukkah collide, a long-awaited miracle awaits.
It only happens once every 15 years or so — the lighting of the menorah at the same time we celebrate Jesus’s birth. To some, this alignment of holy days is even more meaningful now, as hostage families look for any reassuring sign that their nightmare might soon be over. “I went through hell,” Aviva Siegel told American leaders this week in a fresh round of meetings on Capitol Hill, “and they are going through hell.” Her husband of 43 years, Keith, an American-Israeli who grew up in North Carolina, is one of the seven Americans still believed to be held by Hamas.
He didn’t want to tell them he was American, Aviva said emotionally, because he knew he had a better chance of being released — leaving his wife alone with the monsters who ripped them from their home on October 7. Keith wanted to stay in Gaza “just to look after me,” she remembers wistfully. But after she was released during the November 2023 ceasefire, the hardest thing, she regrets, is “I’m not there to look after him.”
Aviva thinks back on that last moment with her husband, more than a year of freedom later.
“When I separated from Keith, not knowing if I’ll ever see him again … I was very clever of what I said, but I told him, ‘You’ll be strong for me, and I’ll be strong for you.’” Now, she tells leaders, she has a hard time tapping into her pain. “I’m broken up into pieces,” she admits quietly.
Most people don’t think about what it’s like to be a woman in the grip of this evil. As Haley Strack wrote poignantly for National Review:
“The women in Gaza have been held captive long enough to experience about 15 menstrual cycles. Testimonies from released hostages describe the conditions that hostages endure: occasional, and cold, saltwater sponge baths; no changes of clothes; near constant supervision, including in the restroom. Testimonies have also corroborated what was known but ignored by many in the international community on October 7 — that women and men have been raped and sexually assaulted in captivity.”
Those who’ve been there, like Avivi, saw things they will never shake. She remembers seeing a young Israeli girl “handcuffed and severely beaten by four terrorists,” she told Strack. “I couldn’t scream, and I couldn’t do anything, and I couldn’t help, and it was one of the worst moments of my life, because I wanted to protect her,” she laments. “And when she came back, she sat down on the floor. She was crying and shaking. She was red all over her body from being beaten up into pieces. And I asked after a while, ‘Why didn’t you scream? Because I wanted to scream for you.’ And she said that she didn’t want to give them the pleasure.”
Yarden Gonen, whose sister was shot in the arm and dragged to a Hamas truck, pleaded with the world to help. “They’re starving everyone, they’re mentally and physically abusing everyone, and they are sexually abusing everyone,” Yarden insisted. “But girls can get pregnant, because terrorists rape them. We currently have 100 hostages, but maybe we have 101, 102, or more.”
Amit Levy, whose sister Naama is also a hostage, shared his family’s distress of simply not knowing. The last time anyone heard from the hostages was November of 2023. A full 13 months later, the doubts of whether they’ve lived or died is torturous.
“It’s very tough for [my parents],” Levy reflects. “I mean, their little girl is… they don’t know anything about her. They can’t save her life from the monsters that are surrounding her. So it’s a nightmare,” he said. Like so many of the loved ones left behind, there is so much guilt. “I know we’ve failed her,” he tries to explain, “but it will be over soon, and she just has to hold tight.”
There are, to everyone’s relief, signs that Amit may be right. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters this week, “Hamas has gotta be looking out at the world today and realizing that the cavalry’s not coming to rescue them. And so, one would hope that recent developments in Syria reinforce for them that they are just increasingly isolated and ought to take a deal.” Still, he acknowledged, “There’s an opportunity here to get the hostage deal in place, to get these families reunited, to get a surge of humanitarian assistance into Gaza. But again, there’s an awful lot of work that still has to be done.”
That work is ongoing — and not just from the Biden administration. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, who warned there would be “ALL H*** TO PAY” if the terrorists don’t release the hostages by January 20, may be the single biggest piece of leverage the current administration has.
Already, Hamas has reportedly agreed to two of Israel’s demands for a ceasefire: first, that it would allow the Jewish state’s troops to stay in Gaza temporarily after the deal; and two, it has already handed over a list of hostages, including U.S. citizens, that they would release as part of negotiations, The Wall Street Journal confirmed.
“As part of the latest proposal, Israel and Hamas are considering a 60-day cease-fire period that would see the release of up to 30 hostages being held in Gaza,” WSJ explained, “including U.S. citizens, according to the mediators. In exchange, Israel would set free Palestinian prisoners and allow greater humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza, they said.” Before the election, the outlet notes, “Previous rounds of talks repeatedly faltered, but Hamas in recent weeks has displayed more flexibility on several key issues.”
Moshe Lavi, who served as a former captain in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), lost his brother-in-law, Omri Miran, to captivity under Hamas on October 7, 2023 too. In a powerful op-ed, he talks about the benefits of Trump’s White House return:
“Critics will argue that Trump’s return to power brings risks, including escalating regional tensions. However, in this case, Trump’s willingness to take bold, even controversial, actions could lead to a breakthrough. His administration’s Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations, showcased a capacity to upend long-standing diplomatic impasses through unconventional methods. That same approach could be applied here.”
“With Trump’s return,” he writes, “the game has changed. His alignment with [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his hawkish stance on Iran makes it possible to align U.S. and Israeli priorities in a way that was more challenging under the previous administration. Moreover, a Republican Congress can provide the unified legislative support needed to back bold executive actions, from increased military aid for Israel to sanctions or diplomatic maneuvers targeting Hamas’ sponsors.”
For families like his, he implores, “This is not a partisan issue. It is a matter of life and death. We need leadership that can break through the impasse and deliver results. If the Republican trifecta can provide Israel with the guarantees it needs and compel Hamas’ sponsors to act, then this moment must not be wasted.” Omri and so many other hostages are waiting, Moshe insists. “Their freedom depends on the courage and determination to seize this opportunity.”
Six thousand miles away, Americans are safe, comfortable, and reveling in the magic of Christmas. As we do, FRC’s Lela Gilbert urges, may we take time out to pray for the world’s hurting people.
“During the joyful days of celebration and festivity,” Lela said, “let’s remember those 130 Israeli captives who won’t be able spend this time of year with their families and loved ones. To make matters worse, we can only assume that they’re experiencing mistreatment and abuse in their captivity, along with deep fears about their future. We also know that those who love them are suffering intense sorrow in their absence and facing the coming days of festivity with heavy hearts. Even as we celebrate in our own freedom, let’s devote some time for reflection on their situation — and pray fervently for their immediate release.”
This article appeared originally here.
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