The grief-stricken families of Israeli hostages whose bodies were retrieved from Gaza gathered on Sunday to bid their final goodbyes, their sorrow mingled with deep frustration toward the government. At the funeral of Almog Sarusi in Raanana, his mother, Nira, delivered an emotional eulogy. “Almog, my dear son, we had so much hope, so many prayers that we would see you again, to hug you, to see your smile,” she said. “But on October 7, you were abandoned,” she added, referencing the day Hamas militants launched an attack on southern Israel, taking her son and 250 others hostage from the Nova music festival.
Nira went on to express her anguish over the “ongoing neglect” of her son, who was held for 331 days, ultimately sacrificed in the campaign to “destroy Hamas.” The October 7 attack resulted in 1,205 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials.
Among the deceased were Almog Sarusi and five other hostages, whose bodies were discovered in a Gaza tunnel on Saturday. Israeli authorities confirmed their identities on Sunday, revealing that they had been shot at close range just before being found by soldiers.
The ongoing Israeli military campaign against Hamas has claimed 40,738 lives in Gaza, with the UN reporting that the majority of casualties are women and children.
The identification of the six hostages on Sunday intensified public anger toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with critics accusing him of failing to secure a ceasefire that could lead to the release of remaining captives. Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in protest, demanding answers from the government. In Jerusalem, protesters gathered outside a government office building, shouting, “Where are you?!” through loudspeakers.
Eyal Kalderon, cousin of French-Israeli hostage Ofer Kalderon, who remains captive, voiced the fears of many: “We don’t know who will be the next family to receive the terrible call. Today, it was six young and beautiful people, but it could be any of the others in the future.”
Funerals and memorial services held on Sunday were filled with heartbreak. In Petah Tikva, mourners wept as they caressed the body of Eden Yerushalmi, draped in an Israeli flag. In Jerusalem, a community gathered to remember US-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose death was confirmed on Sunday. The community center where his family worships was filled with candles and signs urging, “Bring Hersh Home,” as attendees wept while hearing the names of other hostages.
Nira Sarusi, addressing mourners in Raanana, expressed a hope shared by many grieving families: “Enough, no more. We have paid the worst price. I hope that we will be the last. From now on, let’s work toward a deal to bring all the hostages back home.”
