The families of five female Israel Defense Forces soldiers abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7 released new photos of their daughters Tuesday night.
The images, released by the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, show Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniella Gilboa and Naama Levy shortly after they were taken from the IDF Field Observers base in Nahal Oz.
“As the return of their daughters and other hostages seems closer than ever, the families will demand an immediate meeting with Prime Minister [Benjamin Netanyahu],” according to a statement by the Forum.
“They will plead with him to sign the deal before his trip to Congress [on July 24],” it continued. “Additionally, the families will unveil photos of the five observers from their early days in Hamas captivity.”
The families shared the photos with members of the media during a press conference at the headquarters of the Forum in Tel Aviv.
“It’s not the time for traveling. It is time to close the deal and bring the hostages home,” Ayelet Levy Shahar, Naama’s mother, said of Netanyahu’s upcoming trip to the U.S.
She noted that the families received the pictures “in the past few days” and decided to release them “to keep reminding everyone, the world, that this is going on and that pressure should be put to mobilize a deal right now.”
“Now is the time to act, because we fear the fate of our girls,” continued Shiri Albag, the mother of Liri. “Our girls, and all the other hostages, are in mortal danger every day. We need to do everything, everything we can to bring them back.”
Orly Gilboa, Daniella’s mother, pleaded with the Israeli premier: “I ask that, if you do choose to give the speech, it will be a speech declaring an immediate hostage deal, which will bring back the power, the joy, the hope for the State of Israel and bring back my Daniella.”
Last week, a Hamas propaganda video of Gilboa was released to the public with the family’s consent.
“I’m under constant bombardment and gunfire around the clock, and I’m terrified for my life,” Gilboa says in the clip. “Why should I feel like I’ve been abandoned and forgotten? Pull yourselves together, dear government, and start doing your job properly. Bring us home alive.”
In May, the Forum released a video of Hamas terrorists abducting the IDF observers on the morning of Oct. 7. The footage, captured by the terrorists’ body cameras, revealed the violence and trauma experienced by five of the seven spotters captured alive.
Of them, Ori Megidish was freed by the IDF in a rescue operation in late October. Another, Noa Marciano, was murdered by Hamas in captivity. IDF troops found her body in a building adjacent to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City in November.
Fifteen additional field observers serving at the Nahal Oz base were murdered during the Oct. 7 invasion.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at his office in Jerusalem with the families of those killed.
“Netanyahu listened attentively to the stories about the lives and heroism of each of the young women, felt the families’ pain, and heard their requests and demands for an investigation into the events and for the commemoration of their daughters,” his office said in a statement.
“The prime minister answered their questions and said that matters would be thoroughly checked and that the lessons would be learned at all levels, including in the intelligence, operations, military and diplomatic spheres. He also promised to assist the parents in commemorating the young women and their legacy,” it added.