Families of Israeli hostages were received at the National Assembly on Tuesday. They then gave a press conference.
Several French-Israeli hostages are still in the hands of the Palestinian Hamas movement. About ten of these families arrived in Paris on Monday evening to “make their voices heard.” They were received this Tuesday in the National Assembly by several elected officials and its President Yaël Braun-Pivet, who expressed solidarity “with the victims, Israel and the families”. They also went to the Israeli embassy in Paris.
At a press conference they made a heartbreaking appeal from Paris for the hostages to be released.
Some spoke of the fear associated with Israel’s invasion of Gaza. Ayelet Sella, whose seven family members are missing, regretted that “what was revealed publicly does not give absolute priority to the hostages, which is, in my opinion, unacceptable.”
Families of Israeli hostages in Paris: “What has become public means that the hostages are not given absolute priority, which is, in my opinion, unacceptable,” reacts Sela Ayelet pic.twitter.com/ruLPYeB83m
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) October 31, 2023
During this press conference, these hostage families demanded that “the Red Cross be allowed to visit them,” as pointed out by the brother of one person held since the rave party on October 7th.
“My sister is sick. She has not had any medication for three and a half weeks,” said Adva Gutman, who appealed “to the whole world and to the French government” for help. “They need to support us and understand that this is not just our fight.”
Adva Gutman (sister of a hostage kidnapped during the rave party): “We expect the whole world and the French government to support us and understand that this is not just our fight.” pic.twitter.com/qyJtjm78sq
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) October 31, 2023
The granddaughter of one hostage, Adva Adar, recalled that “Hamas is a terrorist organization, we do not negotiate with them.”
The war between Israel and Hamas was sparked by the Palestinian group’s bloody invasion of Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip on October 7.
In total, this Hamas attack caused 1,400 Israeli victims, mostly civilians, according to authorities. More than 200 people have been held hostage since October 7th.
In retaliation, the Israeli army bombed Gaza, where more than 8,300 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the war began.