Via Orla GuerinBBC Information, Tel Aviv 1 hour agoImage supply, Circle of relatives handoutImage caption, Hersh Goldberg-Polin stands subsequent to his mom Rachel. Hersh used to be ultimate observed in a Hamas video after the 7 October attackRachel Goldberg-Polin now lives by way of a brand new calendar – no longer weeks, or months, however days of absence and anguish. Each morning when she wakes, she writes a bunch on a work of tape and sticks it to her clothes. It is the selection of days since her son Hersh used to be taken hostage – she says stolen – by way of Hamas. Once we meet in Jerusalem that quantity is 155.At the morning of seven October, she became on her telephone to seek out two messages from Hersh. The primary mentioned: “I really like you.” The second one despatched in an instant afterwards learn: “I am sorry.” She known as – no resolution. “It rang and rang,” she says. “I wrote ‘Are you ok? Let me know you might be ok.’ None of the ones (messages) have been ever observed. My throat clenched and my abdomen curled up. I simply knew one thing terrible used to be unfolding, and I knew he knew.”Hersh used to be stuck up within the carnage unleashed by way of Hamas on the Supernova tune pageant. He sought shelter in a packed bomb refuge. Hamas militants have been simply out of doors, throwing in hand grenades.The ultimate symbol of the 23-year-old is in a Hamas video. He’s being loaded onto a pickup truck, surrounded by way of gunmen. His left arm has been blown off. The Hamas assaults killed round 1,200 Israelis, maximum of them civilians. Since then, Israel has bombed Gaza relentlessly, killing greater than 31,000 folks in line with officers within the Hamas-run territory. 70% of the useless there are ladies and youngsters. Whilst the warfare rages in Gaza, Rachel’s struggle is to deliver house her son, and the opposite hostages.Hersh is amongst 130 hostages from the 7 October assaults ultimate in Gaza. Israel believes no less than 30 of them are already useless.”Each morning I make a concerted effort and say to myself, ‘now, faux to be human in order that I will rise up and take a look at to save lots of Hersh and the opposite ultimate hostages’,” she tells me. “What I wish to do is lay in a ball at the ground weeping, however that may not assist them.” Rachel – a mom of 3 – is small and slight however she is a powerhouse. We meet at her circle of relatives’s marketing campaign headquarters – the place of business of a project capital corporate, lent by way of a chum. Campaigning is now her full-time process. She hasn’t been again to paintings for the reason that day of the assaults. Neither has her husband Jon.Video caption, Watch: Rachel Goldberg-Polin talks about Hersh’s kidnappingBut 5 months on, the focal point at the hostages is fading – at house and out of the country. Family are having to battle exhausting to stay them within the public eye.Ask about her Hersh, and a grin lighting up her face. “That is my favorite topic – my kids,” she says. “Hersh is a happy-go-lucky, laid-back football fan. He is wild about tune fairs and he has been obsessive about geography and commute since he is been just a little boy. “Her son, who’s an American-Israeli twin citizen, used to be because of go away for a round-the-world go back and forth lasting a 12 months or two. His price ticket used to be already purchased. The departure date used to be 27 December.Hopes have been raised of a deal to get the hostages again earlier than the Muslim holy month of Ramadan – in go back for a ceasefire of about 40 days and the discharge of Palestinian prisoners. A bleak Ramadan has come, with out a leap forward. However talks on a imaginable settlement are because of resume in Doha in tomorrow or so. Rachel says she is at all times apprehensive, scared, and in doubt – “You understand the pronouncing, do not rely your chickens earlier than they hatch? I believe like do not rely your hostage till you might be hugging them.”However hope, she says, “is obligatory”.”I imagine it and I’ve to imagine it, that he’s going to come again to us.”In the middle of her torment, she is fast to recognize the ache of households in Gaza.She says the agony will have to finish, and no longer just for Israelis.”There are tens of millions of blameless civilians in Gaza who’re struggling,” she says. “There may be such a lot struggling to move round. And I would really like for our leaders, they all, to mention, ‘we are going to do what we have now to take action that simply the standard folks can forestall struggling’.”Professionals say it is not simply the hostage households who’re trapped in an anguishing wait. Additionally it is the 105 hostages who have been freed in November throughout a week-long truce, leaving others at the back of.”A lot of them stay telling us that they may be able to’t even get started grieving or therapeutic till their pals or members of the family can be again,” says Professor Ofrit Shapira-Berman, a veteran psychoanalyst, and specialist in treating complicated trauma. “Many nonetheless have a relative in Gaza,” she tells us. “Others have pals they made throughout captivity. Everyone seems to be ready. That is something they’ve in not unusual. Their trauma is being not on time.”At the morning of seven October, Professor Shapira-Berman used to be already mobilising a volunteer community of physicians and psychological well being professionals to offer improve for survivors. Since November, they’ve additionally been treating returned hostages.In her book-filled place of business in a suburb of Tel Aviv she provides us a painstaking account of what the hostages continued. All have been psychologically abused, she says, however no longer all have been bodily abused.”A few of them have been overwhelmed,” she says, “together with the youngsters. They have been all given a little or no quantity of meals, virtually at the fringe of hunger, little or no water and occasionally water which used to be grimy. They have been drugged. They have been compelled to take ketamine (used for anaesthesia). They have been touched with out consent, the entire selection,” she says, her voice trailing away.There may be specific worry in Israel for the ladies being held – with reason why, she says.”What emerged could be very transparent proof and testimony that probably the most ladies are being sexually abused,” she tells us, “no longer had been however are nonetheless being sexually abused”.She is measured about what the long run would possibly grasp for individuals who had been freed. A minimum of a few of them “will be capable of love and to consider any person”, she says, however it will take years.She warns that therapeutic can be tougher for individuals who have been bodily abused or got here again to find family members were slaughtered and their house destroyed.For individuals who stay in Gaza, 5 months on, she tells us, restoration is some distance much less sure, even supposing they’re in the long run freed. At perfect, it’ll take years.And if they aren’t launched, what does that imply for the hostages who’ve returned?”Smartly, it seems that your middle can ruin into unending items,” Prof Shapira-Berman replies. “So although it is damaged already, it’ll be damaged once more. It is like past my creativeness that there can be no ceasefire. Even and when the hostages are again, that is our trendy Holocaust. “Circle of relatives pictures of Itai Svirsky display a dark-haired guy with smiling eyes and entire cheeks.In a single image, the 38-year-old is strumming a guitar. In any other he sits on a bench along with his arm round his grandmother, Aviva. In a propaganda video launched by way of Hamas in January, there’s a very other Itai – with sunken cheeks, bleary eyes, and a low voice. Symbol supply, Circle of relatives handoutImage caption, The Israeli army says Itai Svirsky used to be killed by way of his Hamas guard. Hamas claims he used to be killed in an air strikeHe may not be coming house. All his circle of relatives can hope for is to get his frame again from Gaza for burial.They are saying Itai used to be killed by way of his guard – after an IDF air strike close by – in response to an investigation by way of the military.”Itai used to be done two days after by way of the terrorist that guarded him,” says his cousin, Naama Weinberg. “We all know he shot him. What would deliver that guy to shoot him after 99 days? It is devastating. The disgruntlement is inconceivable. “The military has denied Hamas claims that Svirsky used to be killed within the air strike, even though it admits any other hostage held with him most probably used to be.We first met Naama ultimate November when she used to be campaigning for Itai’s free up, and nonetheless had hope. Regardless of her loss she’s nonetheless campaigning – for the opposite hostages – even though she is now wrapped in grief. Symbol caption, Itai’s cousin, Naama, says she’s disenchanted by way of the reaction in Israel to the hostage situationWe stuck up together with her on a up to date march by way of the hostage households from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. “I am indignant and I’m unhappy as a result of Itai is not going to come again anymore,” she says. “They (the federal government) didn’t do no matter they may be able to, and they’re nonetheless no longer doing no matter they may be able to. Clearly, Hamas isn’t the most productive spouse to barter with, however we would like them again, and we would like them again alive.”Naama is pained by way of what Itai went via in his ultimate months – witnessing the killing of his mom, Orit – a peace activist – on 7 October, after which languishing in captivity. And he or she’s pained by way of a way that Israel is being used to the hostage disaster.”I am very apprehensive about it,” she tells me. “I’m apprehensive concerning the nature of humankind to simply accept scenarios. I’m disenchanted from Israeli society. I’m disenchanted from the entire international this is sitting quiet and letting this occur.”Then she leaves us to rejoin the marchers at the highway to Jerusalem.Days later, relations acquire at the roadway at nightfall – forming a good circle of loss – and bringing site visitors to a standstill out of doors Israel’s defence ministry in Tel Aviv. Maximum lift posters with pictures of sons, or daughters, or folks they’ve no longer observed or held since 7 October, when Hamas dragged them into Gaza.Then comes a sombre rely (in Hebrew) “one, two, 3” and onwards – a tally of the selection of days their family members had been long gone. That quantity is now 163 (as of 17 March).Each and every phrase from the loudhailer resounds like an accusation directed at Israel’s High Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Indicators learn “Deal refusal = Hostages’ demise sentence”.A few of the protesters we meet Amit Shem Tov, who desires his brother Omer again. He used to be taken from the tune pageant like Hersh Goldberg-Polin.Symbol caption, Amit Shem Tov’s brother, Omer, is one of the hostages nonetheless believed to be in Gaza”As stunning as he’s from the out of doors, he’s extra stunning from the interior,” Amit says, smiling at his brother’s bearded face within the poster by way of his facet, “this kind of persona, too many pals, at all times making jokes, at all times laughs, at all times loves to bounce, to are living lifestyles. That is him”.Then the counting involves an finish, the few dozen protesters transparent the street, and the site visitors strikes on – one thing the households of the hostages can’t do. “For us, it is nonetheless 7 October,” says Amit.
