DR. AYELET LEVY SHAHAR: A mother’s message to America: Don’t forget the hostages

More than 400 days and nights have passed since my daughter Nahama, who was 19 years old at the time, was kidnapped in Gaza. Naama is a fun-loving teenager who is loved by everyone. He embodies the values ​​of kindness, tolerance, and compassion, volunteering in a nursery for asylum seekers, and working to build bridges between Israeli and Palestinian children through the organization “Hands of Peace”.

A long time has passed since that horrible Saturday when the world watched videos of Hamas armed terrorists brutally dragging Nahama who was beaten and covered in blood and six of his friends into the trunk of a Jeep that took them to Gaza, after forcing them to witness the killing of. their friends.

The haunting images of that day still haunt me with the powerlessness I felt before in nightmares. We know that he was injured, and today he and 100 other hostages are still in grave danger. The freed captives confirmed our worst fears of violence, physical and sexual abuse, hunger, and darkness in the underground tunnels. Now, with the coldest of winters, their chances of survival under these brutal conditions grow even more desperate.

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Recently, Naama spent her 20th birthday – a milestone that should mark a young woman stepping confidently into adulthood – underground, in a tunnel, surrounded by Hamas terrorists who kidnapped her in her pajamas more than 400 days ago.

Last November brought a glimmer of hope when 105 hostages, most of them women and children, were released and reunited with their families as part of the first and only hostage release agreement. But Nahama was not among them. Since then, despite many opportunities for further agreements, each failed negotiation has been another missed opportunity, another day of separation, another night of uncertainty.

Naama Levy’s mother describes her as fun-loving and kind. (Dr. Ayelet Levy Shahar)

Not a single second passed without me and my family fighting to bring Nahama home. Every morning begins with the same desperate question: How do we save him? We are fortunate to have great support from our community, friends, family, and colleagues, which somehow enables us to maintain some semblance of normalcy in the midst of this great chaos – essential to our daily survival.

For me, there is another important anchor – my patients. As a family doctor, my job is to listen to patients’ concerns and provide relief from their pain. During this terrible time, my medical clinic has become a sanctuary of purpose and stability. I have found that dealing with other people’s problems helps me to ease my own grief.

At the beginning of our struggle – as families of kidnappers – I wondered if I could hold the patient’s grief while my daughter endured real suffering. Some patients come to my office, apologize for bothering me with something like a sore throat. The truth is, my ability to manage them helps me to deal with my problems.

The families of Hamas hostages still being held in Gaza, like that of Naama Levy, pray that the American people will not forget the plight of their loved ones. (Dr. Ayelet Levy Shahar)

Many understand the physical and psychological effects of long-term captivity under extreme and harsh conditions. Perhaps in my case, medical knowledge and medical training make it more difficult. It’s not easy, but I have to choose – as much as possible – where I can direct my thoughts. Dwelling on the “unknown” only intensifies the difficulty.

Unfortunately, the voice of the medical community around the world is not being heard. The massacre of October 7, the living conditions of the hostages, and the lack of access to medical care violate all international standards and law. I have met both the President of the Red Cross and the WHO Chairman several times and was shocked to learn that the plight of the hostages seemed to be one of their priorities. All they offered was a hug and a little sympathy. Although international organizations are silent, we cannot wait.

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I always think of Nahama’s return and dream of our life together after this nightmare is over. These ideas feel real, tangible. When I walk with Nahama’s sister in my neighborhood, I can’t help imagining their meeting. At every step, at every street corner, I picture us together after he returns from that cursed place. Until then, I am talking to Nahama in my thoughts, telling him to be strong, reminding him that he is truly a survivor, and above all this hardship and suffering lies the good days ahead – when he will be free at last.

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Time is running out. I am calling on both the current and incoming US administration to leave nothing behind and use all available channels—these lives hang in the balance. To the American people, who have always stood for justice and human dignity: Your voice matters now more than ever. Don’t let these hostages disappear from your consciousness. Don’t let their suffering become yesterday’s news. Your support and advocacy could mean the difference between life and death for my daughter and other hostages.