Former hostage ‘Matan [Angrest] was forced to endure horrific interrogations,’ mother Anat says

Anat Angrest spoke at a rally in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square on Saturday, demanding the release of the remaining Gaza hostages.

Freed hostage Matan Angrest “was forced to endure horrific interrogations in the basements of the tunnels while he was seriously injured, bleeding, hovering between life and death for many months,” his mother, Anat, said at a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday to demand the release of the remaining Gaza hostages.

“His body bears scars of courage, scars that as a mother, I find it hard to look at and imagine what he went through,” she continued. “He still doesn’t tell me everything, he protects me. He says: ‘Forget it, mom, the main thing is that I’m here.’ But his eyes fill with tears when he remembers that Itay Chen is still there. Every chance he gets, he says he wants to put on his uniform and bring it back,” she said.

The protest was held at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv alongside the families of the remaining 13 deceased hostages, recently released hostages, their families and friends.

“We will never be whole again, but we can be a healed people,” said Noam Katz, daughter of Lior Rudaeff. “A people who choose life, who choose light, a people who choose not to lose hope. This is my dream. This is our promise.”

Lishay Miran-Lavi, wife of Omri Miran, said: “Omri is at home tonight watching over our daughters. This image is no longer a dream, it is reality, and it is thanks to you, good people.”

“You stood with us, walked with us and prayed with us. You opened the doors to the highest halls of power and the smallest places of worship. You ensured that the voices of our loved ones were heard even when the world turned away,” added Moshe, Omri’s brother.

Also among those present are recently released hostage Eitan Horn, accompanied by his brother Amos and Iair Horn, the latter of whom was also released from Hamas captivity in February this year.

Other participants included family members of former hostages who were released under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal.

Kibbutz Nir Oz demands return of remaining hostages

Another demonstration took place at Kibbutz Nir Oz alongside that in Tel Aviv, the main demand also being the return of the 13 hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas.

“My grandfather survived about four months in the Hamas tunnels in deplorable conditions, with very little food, water and no medical care, at the age of 85,” said Gali Nochomovitz, granddaughter of hostage Amiram Cooper.

She added: “Grandma came back with a broken shoulder. While she was in captivity, Grandpa took care of her. He helped her do everything, even though he was also in a bad state of mental and physical health. On the day of her release, it was my grandfather who told her that she was coming home. And literally within moments, the terrorists took Grandma away, and they didn’t have time to tell her at home. see again. And from there they went their separate ways.”

It is true that my grandfather’s time is over, but my time and that of my family have stopped. It is our duty to return the 13 martyrs who remained in captivity and leave no one behind. Leaving no family behind. We deserve certainty; he deserves a proper and dignified burial on the kibbutz land he loved so much. We won’t stop fighting, Grandpa. Until the last captive!”

Other participants included Zamir Haimi, uncle of Tal Haimi, a member of Nir Yitzhak’s prep class who recently returned to Israel; Silvia Cuneo, mother of former hostages David and Ariel Cuneo; and Renana Gome-Yaakov, mother of former hostages Or and Gil Yaakov.