‘Why aren’t you on our side?’ Freed Israeli hostages seek answers as Gaza war rages on

The Gaza war has intensified in the past few weeks, with no ceasefire deal in sight, making hostage families anxious about the whereabouts of their loved ones still held by Hamas. In fact, hostages who have been freed earlier are expressing their discontent over the Israeli government’s lacklustre efforts to get back the remaining captives.

On Tuesday, freed hostages Iair Horn and Sharon Alony Cunio addressed the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and demanded the return of those who continue to remain in Hamas’ captivity.

“Why aren’t you by our side — is it because they’re not your family members? How much longer will I lie to my daughters, telling them [that their father will be released] any minute now?” asked Sharon, who was freed in a November 2023 hostage-ceasefire deal along with her two young daughters.

Sharon is seeking the immediate release of her husband and his brother, who are held in Gaza. She said, “How much more can I take? This is daily abuse. Why do I have to come here and reopen my trauma just to fight for my husband and brother-in-law? There are things I experienced in captivity that I can’t talk about because I’m so ashamed. Why don’t we hear from you?”

On October 7, 2023, Sharon’s family was abducted by terrorists from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. They were taken to Gaza on a stolen tractor, and at one point during the ordeal, they became separated from three-year-old Emma, according to a report by Times of Israel.

Meanwhile, Horn, who was taken from his home in Nir Oz on October 7 and freed in February 2025 as part of a mediated ceasefire and hostage release agreement, spoke to lawmakers while his brother Eitan remains in captivity. He told them a deal “is probably the best way to release the rest of the hostages.”

While there are no positive signs of reaching a truce deal with Hamas, Israel has ramped up its attacks in the region in hopes of taking over Gaza City, a plan that has kept hostage families on edge as they worry about their loved ones.

Their concern stems in part from a tragic incident last year, when six hostages were killed in a Rafah tunnel as their captors heard Israeli forces approaching.

Channel 13 News reports that the military acknowledges having incomplete intelligence regarding the whereabouts of hostages in Gaza. It has also been assessed that Hamas may attempt to relocate some captives into Gaza City in anticipation of the IDF’s intensified offensive in the area.