What I've Learnt - #BringThemHome (Guy Shahar)

WHAT I'VE LEARNT

As the Middle East war rages and innocents on both sides are caught in an unspeakable tragedy I’m grateful to speak to a beautiful family who have been utterly devastated by the Oct 7 horrors.

A Father's agony: it’s so Heartbreaking

On Saturday morning, Yoni Asher was sent a photo of his two young daughters playing in a family safe room before losing contact with his wife; He later found a video showing they had been taken to Gaza, turning his life into a nightmare; ‘We've had no new information about them since’

My wife and the girls, four-and-a-half-year-old Raz and two-and-a-half-year-old Aviv, went to visit Doron's mother and her partner at Kibbutz Nir Oz for the celebration of Simchat Torah. I didn't go with them,” he said.

After losing contact with her and receiving no response to his calls, Asher located his wife's phone at 11:30am, discovering she was in the Gaza Strip’s Khan Yunis.

He subsequently found a video on Telegram showing the terrorists loading Doron and the girls onto a cart, covering Doron's hair and taking them into Gaza. "Since then, we've had no new information about them," he says in pain.

Ravid Katz, 51, was also taken captive by Hamas terrorists on October 7, when they attacked Kibbutz Nir Oz where Katz lives with his family and other relatives.

On that Saturday, Ravid made sure his wife and four-month-old baby were safe with neighbors in their sealed room and went to fight the terrorists with the kibbutz security team.

Ravid’s wife and baby survived the assault, after hiding for hours.

His mother, Efrat Katz, 70, was killed and her partner, Gadi Moshe Mozes, is also captive in Gaza.

Ravid’s sister Doron Katz Asher and her two daughters were taken hostage separately.

The family was unable to locate any sign of Ravid for many days, but received word that he is in Gaza.

Our common humanity and the story of the hostages pervades the global consciousness — you feel the ache of it in every conversation. Shops and restaurants may be open, but there’s little enjoyment to be had knowing that there’s a young Israeli woman who gave birth in Hamas captivity.

Colonel Elad Goren told me he hasn’t had a good day in the job since the war, not while he walks past posters of the missing in the middle of Tel Aviv everyday.

There are yellow these ribbons are for them. They’ll fly in the wind until they’re returned.

Guy, is the cousin of Ravid Katz and Doron Asher Katz

Guy speaks about the trauma his family has faced how they’re coping more than a month later

Firstly let me say hearts all over the world are aching for your family we are all with you

So welcome to the WhatIveLearntPodcast a special edition shining light on this tragedy

It is with our shared humanity that we shine the light and hope to help bring them home now

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