The mother of Nimrod Cohen, a hostage abducted into Gaza, on Tuesday urged the world to put pressure on Hamas and Israel alike to end the war and secure the release of all the hostages.
Four mothers of Israelis being held hostage in the Palestinian territory visited Geneva for a private meeting with Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“Fighting is not a solution. The only solution to bring Nimrod and the other hostages home is to end the war and sign a deal,” Viki Cohen told AFP afterwards.
“We need that the world will pressure Hamas and our government… we need pressure on both sides.”
Out of 251 hostages captured during the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which triggered the war, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Cohen said the strain of her 21-year-old son’s abduction had taken its toll.
“I’m tired emotionally, physically. And that’s why we want to end this nightmare — and I hope there will be an end soon,” she said.
– Letters entrusted with ICRC –
Cohen visited the ICRC president along with the mothers of hostages Ariel and David Cunio, Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Evyatar David.
The four mothers each passed Spoljaric a letter in the hope that one day the Red Cross will be permitted to pass them on to their sons.
“We as mothers wanted to express our feelings about our worries for our sons and how it’s urgent to do everything to make contact with them… and give them the letter so they will have hope,” said Cohen.
Merav Gilboa-Dalal added: “The meeting was very sincere.
“We accept the special neutrality position of the Red Cross; it is important so they can facilitate between all sides in conflict.”
The ICRC has reiterated its call to be granted access to the hostages, saying it stands prepared and ready to bring them medicine, food and family news.
While the Red Cross is in constant dialogue with all parties, it is not involved in any negotiations.
– ‘I must be his voice’ –
Earlier this month, Hamas released propaganda videos showing Evyatar David severely undernourished and visibly weakened, including one in which he digs with a shovel in the sandy floor of a tunnel, saying he is preparing his grave.
“I didn’t want to watch this video because I was afraid that it would tear me apart. I know I must be his voice. I know I must keep on until he will return back,” his mother Galia David told a meeting with the UN correspondents’ association.
“We are concerned all the time our sons are in the dungeons of Gaza.”
Israel has said its military will “take control” of Gaza City in a plan approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet that sparked a wave of global criticism.
“We are really afraid” that the war will continue, said Galia David.
“We know from hostages that were released that the Hamas terrorists are even more evil with them when there is fighting. They abuse them more, so it affects them for sure, it affects our sons.”
Merav Gilboa-Dalal said she cared about the lives of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, saying it was not only her son “being affected by the cruelty of Hamas… it is the citizens of Gaza as well”.
“If we want peace and want our sons back and we want the Palestinians to live a good life, Hamas need to be disarmed,” she said.
AFP