Loved ones of Hamas hostages still holding onto hope as some are released

As war between Israel and Hamas intensifies in the Middle East, hundreds of families are still waiting for word on their loved ones believed to be kidnapped by Hamas.

One mother shared with CityNews the final phone call with her 23-year-old daughter amid a barrage of gunfire. “The last time she called me she said she was crying, and she said, ‘Mommy I was shot, they shot as us.'”

In the chilling recording, Meirav Leshem Gonen tries to console her daughter Romi after she and her friends came under attack during the music festival massacre on October 7.

Gonen told CityNews she was on the phone with her daughter for about four and half hours before losing contact.

“Hearing her moving from place-to-place to hide first from the rockets and then from the gunfire of the terrorists … we heard the shooting coming closer to the car and then a lot of voices men voices in Arabic shouting at each other,” explained Gonen. “And the last words she said is ‘Hello mommy’ and then someone closed the phone and that’s it. We never heard from her since then. It’s been 17 days.”

It’s believed Romi, who is American, is one of the more than 200 people kidnapped by Hamas that day and Gonen said she is sharing all of this with world – to keep her daughter and the other hostages in the spotlight.

Canadian Vivian Silver, a peace activist, who has been living in Israel since the 1970’s is also believed to be a prisoner during the attack on her Kibbutz 17 days ago.

She was on the phone with her son as gunfire rang out. Close family friend Lynn Mitchell shared more about how Silver’s family is feeling at this time.

“It’s been very difficult for the family and all of us who care about her. She has many friends around the world but particular difficult for her family. In the words of her sister, we are doing the best we can and in the words of her brother, we remain optimistic that she is alive and unharmed and we will be able to see her soon,” said Mitchell.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday Hamas militants have released two hostages it had been holding captive in the Gaza Strip, the second time the group has freed hostages seized in its bloody Oct. 7 cross-border incursion into Israel.

Even with humanitarian aid trickling into Gaza, it’s limited and the struggle for food, water and medicine continues. Right now about 300 Canadians and their families have asked Ottawa for help to get out.

Canada’s foreign affairs minister, Mélanie Joly, said Monday talks continue secure evacuations but if or when that will happen is still unknown.