Corporal Tamir Nimrodi was on Saturday October 7, 2023 was abducted from the Erez crossing and is still held in captivity in Gaza, one year later,
The Belgian Jewish community on Sunday marked the first anniversary of the massacre by Hamas in Israel with a ceremony during which Alon Nimrodi, father of Tamir Nimrodi, an Israeli soldier who was abducted on Saturday October 7, 2023 from the Erez crossing and is still held in captivity in Gaza, one year later, expressed the hope that his son is still alive.
1200 people were killed when 3000 terrorists invaded the communities in southern Israel in the worst attack against the Jewish State since 1948. 256 people were taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip.
Corporal Nimrodi, who served as an education NCO (non combating officer), was 18-year-old when he was taken by Hamas terrorists along with two of his friends, Sergeant Nick Beiser and Corporal Ron Sherman, who were tragically killed in captivity. Their bodies were returned to Israel during a military operation last December.
He wasn’t supposed to be on base that Saturday, but volunteered to stay instead of a friend who asked for his help. Horrifying videos capturing his kidnap were published by Hamas on the 7th of October, no further details regarding his whereabouts have been received since then.
While in captivity in Gaza, he marked his birthday on November 15.
“I hope and believe he’s alive,” said his father Alon as he addressed around 2,000 people who gathered Sunday in Uccle, a Brussels suburb. “He’s the greatest hope of my life. He was captured when he was in great shape. So I think he needs to come back like this. I hope that’s the case when he’s back,’’ said Alon Nimrodi in his speech.
He is in Brussels for meetings with journalists and military attachés. He will also speak at a ceremony at the Great Synagogue in Brussels, in the presence of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and have meetings at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
There are still 101 hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. “They are truly living in the hell of the Gaza tunnels,” said Yves Ochinsky, president of CCOJB, the umbrella body of Jewish organisations in Belgium who organized the ceremony together with the Forum of Jewish organizations and BringThemHome Belgium, the local branch of the Forum of Families of hostages, which since October 2023 organizes every Sunday a march in the streets of Brussels to raise awareness of the hostage issue and call for their immediate release.
Sunday’s ceremony was marked with the lighting of candles, showing of commemorative films, songs and speeches by representatives of Jewish youth movements.
An important moment for the entire community, as one attendee, told European Jewiqh Press. ‘’We are keen to show our support tot he people of Israel and the families of hostages,’’ he said.
