"Hamas must surrender"
Gili Roman's sister was held hostage by Hamas terrorists for 54 days. The German-Israeli has been free for a few days now. In a short interview with Markus Lanz, Gili Roman talks about what the family experienced.
October 7, 2023 is a day that will go down in Israel's history. On this Saturday, Hamas terrorists attack the country, murder more than 1,200 Israelis and take almost 240 people hostage. Their relatives wrote letters, fought and demonstrated. One of them is the teacher Gili Roman. He ran a school in Israel that aimed to educate for peace, where Jews, Muslims and Christians learned together. On October 7, his sister Yarden was kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists from Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Shortly afterwards, he is a guest on the ZDF talk show Markus Lanz. His family had been in close contact with the German government and organized demonstrations in Germany for Yarden's release. It takes 54 days. Then, finally, the news arrived, allowing the Roman family to breathe a sigh of relief: Yarden is released. On Wednesday evening, Gili Roman is once again a guest on Markus Lanz. He is on the air from Tel Aviv.
No sign of life for weeks
For weeks, his family did not know whether Yarden was still alive, reports Gili Roman. Hamas had not published any lists of names. The International Red Cross also did not know who exactly the Hamas terrorists were holding. The family only found out when the hostages were released: Yarden is alive. It was at half past two that night. "That's when I found out that my sister was still alive," says Gili Roman, "24 hours later we were able to welcome her to Israeli soil."
35-year-old Yarden, her husband Alon and their three-year-old daughter were abducted from Kibbutz Be'eri by Hamas terrorists. On the way to the Gaza Strip, they manage to escape and run into a forest. But then Yarden realizes: She is too weak. She hands her little daughter over to her husband, who hides with the child for almost ten hours. Yarden surrenders. Her brother is not yet able to tell her what happens over the next few weeks. It is too dangerous, because there are still 130 hostages in the hands of the terrorists.
What he can say is that the hostages have not been given enough to eat. It is also known that the medical care of sick hostages was not guaranteed. Since the beginning of the Israeli defensive measures in the Gaza Strip, this has been the case for all people staying there, according to employees of Palestinian hospitals.
Gili Roman has also learned that women are said to have been sexually harassed. "My sister was lucky. She came back in a relatively good condition," he says. But she experienced terrible things in those 54 days. She didn't know that her daughter and husband had been rescued. However, she learned from a podcast that her sister-in-law had also fallen into the hands of Hamas terrorists. There is still no trace of her.
Roman believes: living together is possible
Gili Roman is a member of the political left in Israel. He is still committed to a peaceful solution and wants to end the war in his home country. But he also knows: "Hamas is a terrorist organization that wants to wipe out the Israeli state. Its aim is to kill Jews." That is why it is clear: "Hamas must surrender." He has been fighting for a compromise between Jews and Palestinians for a decade. There must be a new form of mediation. "I believe in a future in which we can all live together in this country," says Gili Roman. But it will take a long time before this possibility can be created.
The most important thing for Gili Roman now is: "Let's hope that all the hostages are freed so that all the families can have a smile on their faces, just like me."
Read also:
- Year of climate records: extreme is the new normal
- Precautionary arrests show Islamist terror threat
- Numerous oil, gas and coal lobbyists at climate conference
- COP28: Emirates announce fund for climate projects
After the release of Yarden, Gili Roman's sister, the family was overjoyed. This was a significant step towards the liberation of the Hamas hostages. Despite the harrowing experiences they had endured, Yarden managed to return in relatively good health. Gili, however, expressed concerns about other hostages who were still being held by Hamas, urging for their immediate release to bring happiness and relief to their families as well.
Source: www.ntv.de
