Hamas captivity survivor Matan Angrest spoke Saturday night at a Hostages Square rally, holding a sign calling for the return of fallen IDF soldier Hadar Goldin's body.
Hadar's brother Hemi, who was scheduled to speak at the event, canceled his participation at the last minute following news that Hamas had apparently found his brother's body.
Shira Gvili, sister of deceased hostage Ran Gvili, whose body is still held in Gaza, also spoke at the event.
"On October 7th, Ran joined a vehicle with Major General Guy Madar," she recounted. "Together they saved 50 partygoers from the Nova festival. He joined the emergency squad of Alumim and together with the brave fighters saved the kibbutz from massacre."
"My brother was not supposed to be there, but there was nothing more right for him than to show up. Despite waiting to undergo shoulder surgery, Ran put on his uniform and set out, without hesitation, without delay, without thinking about himself - but perhaps precisely because he thought about who he was. Precisely because of that he went out to protect, to save, so that his heart would be whole even if it put his life in danger.
"Ran is still there, our hero, has not yet returned home and I am waiting so much. In what world am I supposed to envy families who are burying their loved ones? I am afraid of the ending - because according to what they tell us, our ending is not good. But for us and for four other families, even a bad ending is an ending, and this is a chapter that must be closed."
Captivity survivor Rom Braslavski added: "I can’t believe I’m in the place that I saw on television in Gaza. I said it was my dream to get there, and now I’m here. There is no one happier than me to stand here in front of you. I want to say first of all that it’s good to be here, it feels good to be here with you. I want to tell you that I love you all, each and every one."
"It was important for me to come up here, and the message I came to give is to say thank you to everyone. I love you. Enormous thanks to the IDF forces, to all the soldiers who entered Gaza and knew they might be going to die so that I could return to live. And I want to take this opportunity to say sorry. Everyone is apologizing to the Goldin family, to Mengistu, to Ron Arad, to those who were left behind and no one rescued them for many long years. And this is our time to rescue everyone who remains in Gaza.
"I love you all and I wish all the bereaved families - my father received me walking on my legs, and there are families who will receive a coffin. But it is important that they return. We will continue to fight for everyone. We will not stop. We will continue with all our strength. Now. Bring them all home."
Captivity survivor Nimrod Cohen added: "When I was there in the hell of Gaza, in the tunnels, they kept telling us that the people of Israel had given up on us. That no one was going out to demonstrate and fight for us. That life was going on as usual and no one cared. But on the day we returned home, the moment I crossed the border back into Israel - I understood that it was all lies."
"On October 7th, there were four of us in tank. All four of us fought and all four of us were abducted. My crew returned, but not everyone returned. There are still five hostages in Hamas captivity. I have no doubt that Hamas knows where they are and is simply enjoying this insane game they are playing. Every day that passes is another day that one of them could disappear forever. There is no time! To President Donald Trump, you brought me back. Thanks to you I am home. Thank you. Please do not stop until all five remaining hostages also return home."
Elad Or, brother of deceased hostage Dror Or, shared: "I feel complete joy at the return of the 20 ‘walking miracles’ to their families and homes. There is also relief with the burial of the 23 deceased hostages who were returned as part of the agreement."
"Dror should have celebrated with his wife Yonat this week her 53rd birthday. They probably would have gone to a beautiful vacation rental. Unfortunately, this will no longer be, but at least he has the right to be buried next to Yonat in Be’eri.
"Right now, in these very days, it is possible to bring everyone back. Sudthisak, Dror, Ran, Meny, and Hadar. The time is now. There will be no other opportunity. Even if the searches take more time because of the destruction, even if complex international cooperation is required, even if there are more obstacles - there is no other choice. Israel must have Dror back home. Everyone back home."
Bar Godard, daughter of deceased hostage Meny Godard, said, "Dad, more than two years ago the worst thing happened. You and Mom were taken from us with a cruelty that no words can describe. I’m afraid that you will be left behind, that you will be forgotten. And also afraid of that moment when you return and then I will know with certainty that you are dead. That the small hope that helps me get up in the morning will disappear and my heart will have to come to terms with what my head knows. That you are not here."
She added, "My father always thought about others first. Always cared for everyone before he cared for himself. Throughout the journey I knew he would not have been willing to return before all the living hostages were home. But now Dad - it is your time to come home. Now I so need you to return."
Tami Baruch, mother of deceased hostage Sahar Baruch, whose body was returned to Israel, said: "My son Sahar was returned a few days ago to the soil of Be’eri. He is now buried next to his brother Edan and close to his grandmother, my mother Geula, and many more beloved family and friends who were murdered in cold blood on October 7th and in its aftermath. We are living in a kind of relay race - only when the last hostage is returned will we truly be able to begin attempting to rehabilitate our lives."
"The five remaining families must also have certainty and the possibility to fulfill the basic right to be buried in the soil of their land. Our ending, the families of the fallen, is a bad ending, but we all have a basic right to an ending."