Relatives of two hostages are urging Israel to negotiate a deal now that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been killed. They believe that Hamas is no longer a significant threat and that a deal should be reached to bring the remaining hostages home. Sinwar, who orchestrated the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, was killed on Oct. 16 in Gaza.
Michael Levy, brother of one of the hostages, expressed hope that with Sinwar out of the picture, a deal could be reached. He emphasized the importance of bringing the hostages back and stated that it is the main motivation for soldiers fighting in Gaza. Ruby Chen, father of another hostage, echoed this sentiment, saying that now is the time for Israel to use diplomatic solutions to secure a deal.
Both Levy and Chen emphasized that the hostage support movement is non-political and aimed solely at bringing their loved ones back. They believe that the time is right for negotiations and hope that the U.S. government will play a role in facilitating the process.
The teddy bear belonging to Almog Levy, a 2-year-old Israeli boy whose father, Or Levy (pictured), has been held hostage by the terrorist group Hamas following a surprise attack on the country on Oct. 7, 2023. Or Levy’s older brother, Michael Levy, has traveled around the world with the teddy bear, rallying support to free his brother. Andrew Chen/The Epoch Times
“We all have political views, obviously. But the families are coming from all political views: right, left, center, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, you name it. Everything. We’re all for the same goal, which is to bring them back.”
Ruby Chen, one of the six elected members of the hostage family steering committee, agrees the bring-them-home movement hasn’t been hijacked by anti-Netanyahu forces. He noted that some of the demonstrators are of that bent, though.
He points out that many on Israel’s right and from its religious circles stand with the hostage families.
“The religious values of Judaism have always been about unity, about preferring life to death, and working together,” Chen said.
In the United States, the families of the eight U.S. hostages have worked to keep it a bipartisan issue.
“We meet with Republicans as much as Democrats,” Chen said. When they were invited to the State of the Union, his invitation came from Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), while his wife’s came from Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).
Or Levy
On Oct. 7, 2023, Or Levy, then 33, and his wife Eynav, 32, had just arrived at the Nova music festival near the Gaza frontier, a mere ten minutes before the attack started at 6:29 a.m. They tried to flee to their car and then hid in a bomb shelter. Their family last heard from them at 7:39 a.m.
Eynav’s body was found in the shelter, and her family was informed of her death a few days later. The IDF told them Or had been taken hostage. The IDF has told the family they think he’s alive, Michael Levy said.
Their son, Almog, has been living with his grandparents, Michael said. He celebrated his third birthday in June.
“It was the saddest birthday I’ve ever been to. We try to keep him happy, make him feel loved and hugged, but it won’t be the same without his father. In the meantime, we do our best.”
Or Levy and his wife, he said, were “what people call the perfect couple. They were always together, always traveling, having fun together. A normal young couple with hopes and dreams.”
They exemplified, he said, “the Israeli dream,” with Or Levy “a genius at computers” and already having sold one start-up company. His wife was a graphic designer. They loved the scene of music festivals like Nova, traveled abroad for them, and their friends went to them as well. Or Levy was the youngest of three sons, with Michael the oldest after whom came Tal.
Itay Chen
Chen’s son, Sgt. Itay Chen, 19, was an IDF soldier in the IDF Armored Corps’ 75th Division. He was on a base at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, which Hamas overran, his father said. His unit fought back but were outnumbered and taken captive, he said.
The army, which initially thought he was taken hostage, said in March that Itay was killed on Oct. 7 and his body taken to Gaza.
But there is no proof, Ruby Chen said, and the family continues to hope for a miracle. Itay loves basketball.
His father took him to New York to, among other things, go to a Knicks game “but he inexplicably became a Celtics fan.”
The family went ahead with the bar mitzvah of Itay’s younger brother, Alon, a week after Oct. 7, he said. Thousands showed up to support the family. Itay is the second of three Chen sons, including the eldest, Roy.
Of the eight U.S. hostages, one, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, was executed recently, with his body recovered by the IDF. Of the other seven, at least two are likely already dead: Gadi Haggai and Judith Weinstein. The couple were out for an early-morning walk at Kibbutz Nir Oz and killed, but Hamas terrorists took their bodies back to Gaza, Ruby Chen said.
Four perhaps are alive, and Itay’s fate is uncertain.
Israel needs them all back, living or dead, Ruby Chen said. He said Israel looks at this much like the U.S. military looks at the recovery of the bodies of those who have fallen.
“If Itay was killed, he’s still a hostage and should be counted as one,” the father said.
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