Lagatar24 Desk
Raanana, Israel: The grief-stricken families of Israeli hostages, whose bodies were recently recovered from Gaza, held funerals on Sunday filled with emotional eulogies and expressions of frustration toward the Israeli government.
In the central Israeli city of Raanana, Nira Sarusi tearfully addressed mourners at her son Almog’s funeral. “Almog, my dear son, how much hope we had, how much we prayed that we would get the chance to see you again, to hug you, to enjoy your smile,” she lamented. Almog Sarusi was one of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas militants during their attack on southern Israel on October 7, an assault that claimed the lives of 1,205 people, mostly civilians.
Nira’s words carried a heavy sense of betrayal as she recalled how her son had been “neglected” on that fateful day and throughout the following months. “You were sacrificed to ‘destroy Hamas,'” she said, highlighting the prolonged period of uncertainty and anguish the families of hostages have endured.
The sorrow in Raanana was mirrored at other funerals across Israel. In Petah Tikva, family and friends of Eden Yerushalmi, another hostage whose death was confirmed on Sunday, wept and caressed her body, draped in the blue-and-white Israeli flag. Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, hundreds gathered at a community center near the synagogue where the family of US-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin worships, lighting candles and sharing their sorrow.
As these somber ceremonies took place, Israeli authorities confirmed that Almog Sarusi and five other hostages had been found dead in a Gaza tunnel on Saturday. According to the health ministry, they had been shot at close range shortly before their bodies were discovered by soldiers.
The ongoing Israeli military campaign to eliminate Hamas has resulted in a staggering death toll of 40,738 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry. The United Nations reports that the majority of the deceased are women and children.
The identification of the six dead hostages has intensified criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with many accusing him of not doing enough to secure a ceasefire that could lead to the release of the remaining hostages. Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Sunday, holding protests in cities across the country, including a large demonstration in Jerusalem where protesters demanded answers from the government.
Eyal Kalderon, cousin of Ofer Kalderon, a French-Israeli still held captive in Gaza, expressed the pervasive fear among the families. “We don’t know who will be the next family that will get the terrible call,” he said, acknowledging the growing anxiety as the situation drags on.
Back in Raanana, Nira Sarusi concluded her eulogy with a heartfelt plea, hoping that no other families would have to endure such devastating loss. “Enough, no more. We paid the worst price. I hope that we will be the last ones. From now on, only a deal to bring all the hostages back,” she urged.
As the nation mourns, the tension between grief and anger continues to mount, underscoring the deepening divide over how best to address the ongoing crisis.
