The hostages

I watched Evyatar David, starved and digging into the earth, in a video recently released by his captors. My body reacted before I could think. For a week, I struggled to focus on work, found myself crying without warning, and had trouble sleeping. I cannot imagine what he is enduring: the isolation, the physical and emotional pain, the constant fear for his life, hanging by a thread. This situation must be unimaginably distressing for him and his family, each day a nightmare for over 600 days. No journalist on site witnesses the hostages’ daily reality.

Rom Braslavski appeared next, crying and visibly injured, in a video also just released by his captors. His cry went under my skin. Earlier in the war, I had seen a separate video of Noa Argamani and her mother, which also struck me. Her mother was battling brain cancer. She longed to see her daughter before she passed, worrying about her every day during treatment. On October 7, 2023, Noa was separated from her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, and held by violent captors. She was freed after months in captivity but is still waiting for Avinatan to return. Even though she was able to see her mother before her death, they had only three weeks together instead of what could have been months.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin stayed with me as well. A grenade had taken part of his arm, and captivity confined him. He loved to travel, explore, and learn from the world. He could communicate with his parents only through an impersonal video, while they never knew whether he could hear their responses. He had to speak in Hebrew instead of American English, their preferred language at home, and his parents could not be with him during surgery or recovery when his arm was amputated. A few months later, he was found dead, far too young and alone. These stories, alongside Rom and Evyatar’s suffering, remain etched in my mind.

About 800 lost their lives immediately during the attack. Their names are listed here:

https://www.gov.il/en/pages/swords-of-iron-civilian-casualties

The People in Gaza

One story that has particularly stayed with me is that of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed during an Israeli military operation in Gaza in January 2024. Hind initially survived and spent three hours pleading for help over the phone with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, saying, “I’m so scared, please come.” Despite efforts to reach her, the rescue attempt failed. Twelve days later, her body was found alongside those of her family and two paramedics.

Her story is one of many. Countless other innocent civilians, especially children, appear daily in the news: distressed, reaching for food, suffering severe malnutrition, or receiving treatment in overcrowded hospitals, some of which have been struck by Israeli airstrikes.

According to UNICEF, the number of dead and injured children is alarmingly high, and many have been displaced multiple times, living with deep trauma.

Although food supplies are said to be sufficient for several months, deliveries are hindered by logistical and political obstacles, with supplies stuck in warehouses and at risk of spoiling. Deaths from malnutrition have already been reported, and dehydration is a growing concern during the ongoing heatwave.

Most available figures come from local authorities in Gaza, and many of the journalists reporting from the area are locals themselves. Nearly 200 journalists have been killed, according to the BBC, while Al Jazeera puts the number closer to 270. Among them was 28-year-old correspondent Anas al-Sharif, who had reported prominently on the war since its outset and was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. Allegations suggest he may have worked with Hamas before the war, yet he was also critical of the group.

Another journalist killed while reporting was 25-year-old photojournalist Fatma Hassouna, also known as Fatima Hassouna. She died on April 16, 2025, in an Israeli airstrike on her family’s home, just one day after her documentary Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk was selected for the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

The risks journalists take in war zones are unimaginably high. Each new report of their deaths reminds me of the fate of American journalist James Foley, kidnapped in Syria in 2012 and later executed by ISIS. This reminds us that terrorists share one clear goal: to intimidate and instill fear. For safety reasons, many international journalists cover the conflict from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, or other Israeli-controlled areas, but in doing so, parts of the story inevitably remain unseen. Yet we know that our histories and national perspectives shape how........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)