Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke this morning (Wednesday) by phone with Ruhama, the mother of the hostage Elkana Bochbot, who appears in the video released by Hamas.
Also participating in the call were Elkana's two brothers.
Last week, Netanyahu invited the Bochbot family for a meeting, but it was postponed at the family's request and will take place soon.
Yesterday, Avi Ohana, the father of hostage Yosef Chaim, recounted the moment he was called to be informed about the sign of life. "I was in the middle of a prayer when the phone started ringing, both from the army and from the family. It stressed me out, but I decided to continue and finish the prayer," he shared in an interview with Kol Chai Radio.
"We haven't seen Yosef Chaim since October 7. We knew he was alive because Ohad Ben Ami, who was released in November, was with him in the same tunnel with Elkana Bochbot," he added.
Ohana referred to the video as manipulation: "All these videos are psychological warfare. My son is not someone who would put his hands on his face and cry, that's not my son. Also, the calls of 'Ohad, Ohad' at the end - you can see it's staged. On the other hand, it's clear that they are in distress. You can see he is thin in body and face."
"We lost a child 14 years ago when he was seven and a half. But the situation now - it's harder than burying a child. Every time I eat, I ask forgiveness from my son, because he has no food," the father shared.
He shared about his struggles with the difficult situation. "I don't sleep at night without sleeping pills. I try to use the nights for prayers. I dream about him almost every night, how he is released and the family is happy. Then I wake up and tell myself - it's a shame reality is not like in the dream."
He spoke about Yosef's courage during the attack: "He could have run away, but he told his friends, 'I won't leave the wounded on the ground.' He stopped cars that were driving towards the enemy. He truly gave his life."