Family, officials rally for return of American hostages being held in Gaza
PLAINVIEW, New York (WABC) -- Hundreds of trees are lined with yellow ribbons in honor of the American hostages still being held in captive in Gaza.
This Monday marks one year since the October 7 attack.
Wednesday, parents of hostages stood with elected leaders to plead for their return in Plainview.
Bring Them Home Tour Founder Jennifer Vartanov, who is also a Jericho School Board member, joined the parents of Hamas hostage Omer Neutra to call for his and others' safe return. They are doing their best to stay hopeful.
They were joined by New York State Assemblymen Jake Blumencranz and Steve Stern, and local Jewish leaders from North Shore Synagogue and Temple Beth Emeth of Mount Sinai.
They were holding this press conference on Erev Rosh Hashanah, the evening before Rosh Hashanah.
Omer grew up in Plainview and went to synagogue in Syosset. His family says that they wake up each day hoping that he is also waking up.
"It's extremely painful. We have a message a message from Omer from last Rosh Hashanah which we pulled up this morning, and it's just heartbreaking," said Orna Neutra, Omer's mother. "Knowing that he is still there and knowing everything that has happened throughout this year to Omer, to the hostages, to the people of Israel it's just heartbreaking."
"We have to stay hopeful, we have no other way. And the moral compass has gone the wrong way around the world and it has to be corrected," said Ronen Neutra, Omer's father.
The IDF said that as of September 1, 101 hostages remained in captivity in Gaza. The UN confirmed the following figures:
Seven Americans were kidnapped on October 7, 2023.
They believe that Keith Siegel, 65, Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, Edan Alexander, 20, and Omer Neutra, 22, are possibly still alive.
Sadly, they say Itay Chen, 19, Judith Weinstein, 70, and Gadi Haggai, 73, are possibly dead.
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