In another life the Avigdori family argued over small things, like many families do. Noam, the youngest, pushed to expand the family with a dog. His relatives were unsure. After nearly 50 days in captivity, in the Gaza Strip, following the kidnapping at Beeri kibbutz, Sharon carried a new possibility in her heart. On television, before the entire country, Hen Avigdori pledged to search for a dog with his daughter once she came home. In his own words, his two daughters would begin a new chapter together, starting on a Saturday in Hod Hasharon, in the center of the Jewish state. The most desired dog in Israel would soon arrive.
“Ultimately there will be two dogs, since one of the Israeli hostages in Gaza was also released recently, and he promised to help with the dog purchase”, explained Zohar Avigdori, the uncle. Although Zohar could celebrate a long-awaited reunion that split his life before and after the events of October 7, he did not surrender to happiness. “I can’t feel joy when people outside the families of hostages and missing people seem happy; the work is not done yet”, he admitted. Though nearly fifty captives taken on October 7 have left Gaza, at least 167 remain. Hamas has indicated it will release only Israeli women and children for now, and only one person of Russian nationality has left Gaza. Others are not expected to depart during the ceasefire, which expires on Wednesday.
They are not on the list today either
Like many families, Zohar did not separate from the broader struggle. The captives’ loved ones have continued to advocate since the day they were taken. “We have to keep moving”, he said. The majority of families have spent days at home amid uncertainty, though they have occasionally shared brief moments of connection with friends. The Bibas family, for example, remains fully mobilized to bring their relatives home. Offri has not heard from her brother in 53 days and Gardennor his aunt Shirin and nephews Ariel, four years old and a cousin, have endured months in captivity. Speaking to international press by video call from his car between demonstrations, he remarked, “They are not on the list today either.”
“I want to believe this is part of psychological warfare against us”, he said, describing the last four days as a nightmare. Offri and his cousin Aylon Keshet, who is dedicated to saving the family, suspect Shiri and the children have been separated from their families. The father also noted that on Monday the IDF informed them that Bibas’ family had been killed and moved to another Palestinian armed faction. Hopes for release during the Gaza ceasefire waned. On the eve of the ceasefire’s end, dozens gathered in the famed Prisoners’ Square, travelling from Tel Aviv to commemorate the youngest captives still in Gaza by releasing orange balloons in tribute to their hair color.
Attacks on soldiers
The hostages who were released have not faced the press directly yet. Their voices, however, continue to be heard through their families as they endure hardship. “Noam and Sharon are overwhelmed because they know they are suddenly in the public eye”, explained Zohar Avigdori. “Also during this time they did not fully understand what happened on October 7; when they parted on the happiest day of their lives, they learned that three family members and entire communities were wiped out in a single day”, he added, speaking from a moving car as the situation unfolded. The Israeli army continues efforts to locate those left behind as ground operations resume.
This Tuesday brought another breach of the ceasefire after soldiers reported violations. The military said three explosions near soldiers in northern Gaza killed several people and left a few slightly injured. Yet the penultimate planned exchange of 10 Israeli hostages for 30 Palestinian prisoners was still underway. In the meantime, Bibas lived in the dark, with little information about the health or location of their loved ones. Keshet, Yarden, and Offri, carrying a portrait of little Kfir and wearing a shirt that reads Bring them back home now, described the ongoing uncertainty as a nightmare and emphasized their fear for those still detained.
One humanitarian concern raised by Offri Bibas focuses on a possible war crime. She urged the Israeli government and peace negotiators to do their best to ensure that women and children can return home as promised in the ceasefire agreement. Families who already have loved ones at home look beyond the immediate circle. Zohar Avigdori reflected on the broader obligation that binds Israeli citizens to their government, noting that the relationship was strained by events on October 7 and that healing will take decades. The family’s stories, shared in the last few days at home, have become keepsakes that anchor their endurance during these trying times.