Letter from families of six murdered hostages: 'We implore you: Take action now'

Time magazine published a letter on Wednesday written by the six families whose loved ones were murdered by Hamas in early September, calling on the international community to do everything possible to return the remaining 101 hostages still held by Hamas.

"On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists abducted 245 individuals, including six innocent people—Almog, Alexander, Carmel, Eden, Hersh, and Ori—who were taken from a peaceful Nova Music Festival and Kibbutz Be'eri. Their families endured a grueling 328-day search, only to learn that their loved ones had been brutally executed in a Hamas tunnel," the letter says.

"Israeli forces found their bodies in a two-foot-wide, 65-foot-deep tunnel with minimal oxygen and no light. Starved and injured, they had been tortured before being shot at point-blank range. Alexander, who had once been nearly six feet tall and weighed 190 pounds, had dropped to 132 pounds. Hersh weighed only 116 pounds, and Eden, at 5 feet 5 inches, was found weighing a mere 79 pounds," the letter states.

"Our loved ones were taken, tortured, and murdered by Hamas," the families wrote. "But many others failed to save them," they added. The letter did not just condemn Hamas; it also called out the failure of Israeli government officials, international leaders, and institutions to take decisive action to secure the hostages' release.

Despite meeting with world leaders, diplomats, and celebrities, the families said they felt let down by those in power. "So many people with power... said they would be with us until our loved ones came home alive," the families wrote. "We held meetings, openly and discreetly, in places like Davos, Washington, Moscow, London, and Geneva." Despite promises of help, there were no meaningful results, they said.

Worldwide indifference 

The letter also questions the lack of global solidarity and media attention on the remaining 101 hostages. “Why are the names of the 101 hostages who remain in captivity not on the nightly news in countries around the world?” the families asked. They believe the absence of public outcry and international pressure has allowed the crisis to persist.

Religious leaders, too, were criticized for their silence. Although two Muslim clerics assured the families that harming hostages violated Islamic law, they remained publicly quiet, the families said. Many religious and humanitarian leaders echoed sympathetic words but failed to intervene meaningfully, they added.

The letter called for immediate action, warning that the implications of this crisis extend beyond Israel and Gaza. "Nefarious actors the world over are watching, learning, and planning. The implications for global security are much wider than Israel and Gaza."

The families' plea ended with a call to action: "In their memory, we implore you: Take action now to bring home their 101 brothers and sisters still in Gaza." In their message of urgency, they echoed the ancient words of Rabbi Hillel: "If not now, when?"