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"I Am Okay, I Love You": Israeli Hostage's Message For Family

An Israeli soldier, held captive by Hamas since October 7, 2023, has sent a message for his family through recently released hostages, his father has confirmed.

"I am okay," Nimrod Cohen conveyed via former fellow captives, his father Yehuda told Israeli news outlet N12. "Don't worry about me. I love you," Mr Cohen told the people released by Hamas as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Gaza.

Mr Cohen, 20, a gunner in an Israeli tank unit, was captured during the Hamas-led attack on the Nahal Oz army base. His three crewmates - Cpt Omer Neutra, Sgt Shaked Dahan, and Sgt Oz Daniel - were killed. He remains one of the last Israeli hostages held in Gaza, excluded from the first phase of the hostage release deal.

Yehuda Cohen, currently in Washington, DC, is on his fifth mission to advocate for his son's release.

"There is no doubt - he will return. He will come back alive and well," Yehuda Cohen said.

He has been outspoken in his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the hostage situation. He accused Netanyahu of sabotaging negotiations and claimed that US President Donald Trump and investor Steven Witkoff have stepped in as mediators "against our own government-a government that has betrayed us."

He also questioned Netanyahu's decision to appoint Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer to lead hostage talks, alleging that Dermer had dismissed the possibility of any hostages being alive just three months ago.

As discussions continue on the second phase of the Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal, Yehuda Cohen, along with other hostage families - including Einav Zangauker, mother of captive Matan Zangauker - has petitioned Israel's High Court of Justice to force the government to disclose full details of the ceasefire agreement.

"Our goal is to make sure Netanyahu does not torpedo the second phase of the deal," Yehuda Cohen said, referring to the phase in which his son is expected to be included.

Back home in Rehovot, the Cohen family is fully committed to securing Nimrod's return. Yehuda Cohen and his eldest son, Yotam, regularly attend protests on Tel Aviv's Begin Road, while Viki, Nimrod's mother, and his twin sister, Romi, participate in silent demonstrations at Hostages Square.

Beyond Israel, Yehuda Cohen has taken his fight to the international stage, meeting with US lawmakers, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, and European officials to push for diplomatic and legal action against Netanyahu if negotiations stall.

Yehuda Cohen is convinced that Hamas is determined to keep the hostages alive - possibly even more so than the Israeli government, The Times Of Israel reported. 

He acknowledges that the process is long and methodical. "To get to Nimrod, there's a list, and it has to progress," he said. He recalled how in November 2023, Israel claimed Hamas provided the wrong list, leading to the collapse of a ceasefire. "Bibi looks for the spot where he can torpedo it all," he alleged, criticising the Israeli Prime Minister's handling of negotiations.

Watching the weekly return of freed hostages has felt surreal for Nimrod's brother, Yotam Cohen. "It's like watching a reality TV show," he said. "We all watch it and deserve to be a part of it after everything that so many Israelis have gone through in this struggle, but I'm jealous of them."

He also grieved for the hostages, who never returned. Among them was Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a friend from his army service, killed in captivity in late August alongside five others. "They could have been at home," he said. "They could have come back to their families. It's the crime of the government that they're not coming back."

Israel has confirmed ongoing discussions for the next phase of the Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal. The ceasefire, which began on January 19, aims to end the war. So far, 19 hostages have been freed, with 14 more expected soon. Around 73 hostages - alive and dead - are still in Gaza. Hamas took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people in its October 7 attack.

In response, Israel's 15-month military offensive in the narrow strip killed almost 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry.



from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/tToSj5r

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