Israeli Captives Held by Hamas in Gaza: A Long-Overlooked Tragedy

The article highlights the plight of two Israelis, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held captive by Hamas for several years. The families of two deceased Israeli soldiers, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, are also distressed as Hamas continues to hold their remains in Gaza. Hamas has a history of using captured Israelis as bargaining chips. Aviram Shaul, brother of Oron, expressed frustration that the Israeli government has not done enough to secure their release. However, with the recent kidnapping of around 200 people by Hamas, there is renewed hope for the release of the hostages. Israel has explored various options in past prisoner swaps, including exchanging Palestinian prisoners for the captured Israelis. The current situation presents challenges as Israel aims to defeat Hamas and faces mounting casualties and criticism. Hagai Hadas, a former Israeli military commander and intelligence officer, emphasized that extracting the hostages would require different tactics than the previous prisoner swap involving Gilad Shalit. He suggested options such as military rescue operations, economic incentives, humanitarian efforts, or even allowing Hamas leaders to flee Gaza in exchange for the hostages. Tila Fenta, a campaigner for Avera's release, believes the international attention on the Gaza hostages may aid her cause. She criticized the Israeli government for their failure to bring back Avera and Hisham and linked it to discrimination against Ethiopian Jews and Bedouin Arabs. Another missing Israeli citizen, Jumaa Abu Ghanima, is feared to be in Hamas' custody, but there is no confirmation. The families of the captives and deceased soldiers are calling for a clear policy to address the issue of Hamas kidnapping. However, any potential hostage release is likely to be a complicated and controversial process due to the nature of dealing with terrorists.