Families of Israeli hostages came to Brussels, seat of the European Union, to tell their stories, show the faces of their son, brother, sister or husband and the nightmare they are having day and night.

 

‘’We are not against humanitarian pauses. We are willing to stop the war but we want to see the hostages back home,’’ Israel’s ambassador to the European Union and NATO, Haim Regev, declared Tuesday during a press conference in Brussels with a delegation of family members of several of the 134 Israeli hostages still detained in Gaza since October 7th.

“We can stop at any moment, they just need to release those hostages,” Regev added.

The families travelled to the EU capital to stress that time is running out and to call on Europe to help get the hostages out of hell. They raise the issue during meetings with members of the European parliament and officials from EU member states.

They pleaded with the European Union and the broader international community not to give up on their loved ones and to continue to wield their diplomatic influence to secure their liberation.

The families came to tell their stories, show the faces of their son, brother, sister or husband and the nightmare they are having day and night.

“Our government and all the world didn’t do enough because they are still there,” Nofar, whose brother Yagev Buchshtav, 35, has been held captive in Gaza since he was abducted from his home in kibbutz Nirim on October 7, said.

“I trust my government. I think they try to do it, they try to release them, but it is not enough and they should do more. They should make a new deal,” she added.

During the emotional press conference, the families said they have had no contact with their loved ones since they were taken and are unaware of whether they are still alive. They include the parents of Oz Daniel, 19, a talented guitarists whose twin sister has been waiting for him at home for 136 days.

“The moment Hamas releases the hostages, there will be less casualties on both sides,” Oz’s father said.

‘’For all families this is a nightmare that has lasted four months now. But they, the hostages, are in hell. This is really hell there. We know nothing about our relatives,’’ said Lishay Lavi, the wife of 46-year-old Omri Miran, who was kidnapped by Hamas from kibbutz Nahal Oz. She came with her father-in-law Dani Miran.

‘’I can’t describe what I really feel inside of my heart,’’ sid Tammy Breslavsky, the mother of 19-year-old Rom Breslavsky who worked as a,security guard at the Nova music festival and saved the lives of many people before being kidnapped.

‘’My heart is bleeding. I want to screem to the world: don’t let them there,” she said.

‘’I expect the world to fight with Israel against Hamas,’’ she added.

The Israeli ambassador stressed that Israel had a great support from the European Union. ‘’We sa wit it from the first day of the war. But we need more support, more pressure, more activity by the European Union and the internationalal community that those hostages will come back as soon as possible.’’

Later on Tuesday, the families  made the same plea not to forget the hostages, in Antwerp where they met members of the Jewish community in the Romy Goldmuntz Synagogue.