Today marks the 150th day since October 7. For countless Israelis, and many in our community, time has stood still since that fateful morning. For the 134 hostages and their families, this day marks yet another horrific marker in this ongoing nightmare.
A new interview was released today with Moran Stella Yanai, a 40-year-old who was taken hostage by Hamas from the Nova Music Festival and held captive for 54 days. While in Gaza, she experienced physical and psychological abuse from the terrorists before she was eventually freed as part of the hostage deal in November.
Hamas Preventing New Hostage Deal
Those calling for a ceasefire in Gaza should direct their demands to the one address preventing it from happening: Hamas.
The terrorist group is preventing a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal from being implemented. Hamas has the ability to enable a pause in the fighting and a massive surge of humanitarian resources into the Gaza Strip if it agrees to free some of the hostages. Instead, it is prolonging this war and the horrors for the hostages and their families.
Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) today posted: "There is [a] deal on the table to release all hostages along with an immediate 6-week ceasefire and an influx of humanitarian aid. Israel has agreed. Hamas needs to do the same given the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza."
"Israel has put a forward-leaning deal on the table," White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said. "They have made an offer here. And the onus is on Hamas to accept it."
ACTION NEEDED: Take two minutes to send a pre-written email telling our elected leaders to stand with Israel and condemn Hamas for blocking a 6-week ceasefire deal that the U.S-brokered and Israel has accepted to free hostages and surge aid to Gaza.
U.N. Report Finally Recognizes Hamas’ Sexual Abuses
A new U.N. report acknowledged Hamas’ despicable use of rape and sexual violence on October 7, and the terror group’s likely continued abuse of the women it still holds in captivity.
"We found that cases of sexual violence and gang rapes were committed during the October 7 attack across at least three areas: the Nova Music Festival, Road 232, and Kibbutz Re'im," read the report. "In most cases, the victims were raped and then murdered, but in at least two occasions rape was also committed on women's dead bodies."
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused the U.N. of first trying to hide the report and then failing to take any action based on it: "Despite the authority granted to him, the U.N. Secretary-General did not order the convening of the Security Council in view of the findings, in order to declare the Hamas organization a terrorist organization and impose sanctions on its supporters."
More Deadly Attacks from Hezbollah
An anti-tank missile fired by Hezbollah killed one person and injured seven others. All are foreign laborers working in the north.
The terrorist group fired 10 rockets at the western Galilee this evening, with several intercepted by Iron Dome.
Major Impact on Israeli Children
A new study found that nearly 20,000 Israeli children suffered from physical or mental injuries in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre. JNS reports that, "84% of parents responding to a national survey saying that their children aged 2-12 were in emotional distress, 64% reported fear and 62% reported anxiety."
"In addition, 116 children were left orphaned after the massacre of some 1,200 people, including 20 kids losing both parents and 96 losing one parent."
I encourage you to share the graphics and videos below marking 150 days since the war began, and calling on Hamas to free the hostages now.
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