June 17, 2024 – Israel-Gaza news

Two Israeli hostages are alive Those who were detained by militant organizations Hostage families shared their horrific stories during weeks of captivity in Gaza, according to a news release from the forum's headquarters on Monday.

Daniel Aloni, who was held hostage for 49 days with his five-year-old daughter Amelia, said they were taken into the tunnel after being snatched after a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.

“I have a vague memory of what happened from the moment they snatched my niece from me to the entrance of the tunnel and down a 30-meter ladder. I have already said it and I have nothing to be ashamed of — that terrorist is waiting for me in the tunnel. As I was coming down the stairs, he took my jewelry and tore me and hugged me in the most humiliating way in front of my daughter and I remained silent in fear,” Aloni said.

He said they were afraid of many things: “They will shoot us, they will tire us, they will lose patience as the days go by.”

“One day, one of our guards sat among us, armed with a weapon – what does that mean? Are they afraid of an IDF rescue operation?” he added.

Aloni and Amelia were among the Israeli hostages taken in a Palestinian prisoner exchange deal last November.

“It's very difficult to think about the day after everyone returns, because the long-awaited day is not coming,” he said.

Hostage survivor Louise Harr recounts her rescue after 129 days in captivity. Har was rescued in February in an early-morning operation in which the Israeli military launched airstrikes that local officials said killed nearly 100 people in the southern Gaza town of Rafah.

“Suddenly, there was a huge explosion. I rolled towards the door and then they called me, “Lewis, here!” I crawled on all fours, and someone grabbed my head and legs and shouted, “Lewis, IDF, IDF, we Come to take you home.” From that moment, all worry and fear disappeared,” he said.

Israel and Hamas are at war, after the Palestinian militant group launched a surprise cross-border attack from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages.