Daniel Aloni, who endured 49 days of Hamas captivity alongside her daughter Emilia, offered a sobering perspective on the recent hostage releases in an interview with Esti Perez Ben-Ami on Israel's Kan Reshet Bet. Speaking two days after the liberation of Doron Steinbrecher, Romi Gonen, and Emily Damari, Aloni cautioned against misreading the survivors' apparent resilience.
"Let's not get swept up in the joy of the moment," Aloni stressed. "Those smiles and that strength you see – they mask unimaginable horror. These women went through hell, a nightmare beyond what any of us can comprehend."
Recalling her own terrifying release during the first hostage exchange, Aloni painted a harrowing picture: "The scene was chaos. Crowds in Gaza swarmed the Red Cross vehicles, shaking them, pounding on them. After surviving so long in captivity, we thought we might die right there in that moment."
The recent releases stirred those memories. "Yesterday, watching those vehicles surrounded by crowds, I felt that same fear again," she said. "There were so few protectors compared to the mass of people pressing in from all sides."
Addressing critics of the hostage deal, Aloni acknowledged the complexity of the situation: "I get it – this deal comes at a devastating cost. We're releasing terrorists with blood on their hands. Bereaved families feel their losses are being diminished. But we can't bring back the dead. What we can do is save those who are still alive."
"Look, we'll always have the option to fight," she continued. "This conflict with our neighbors is like a Catholic marriage – till death do us part. Until there's new leadership, until we find a real path to coexistence, war will keep returning. But right now, we have a chance to save lives. Most of the hostages are still alive – this might be our only window to bring them home."
She closed with a personal message to those still in captivity: "Sweet Arbel, my brave girl, I hope Saturday brings your freedom. And to Ariel and David – know that we haven't forgotten you for a second. An entire nation stands behind this effort, working relentlessly to bring you home. Stay strong. Your day of freedom is coming."
0 Comments