Israeli father said that even in Hamas’s imprisonment, his daughter heard his request to go home alive

Israel’s Ramat Gan (AP) -At more than 470 days, Eitan Gonen publicly pleaded her daughter to live during the imprisonment of Hamas. He didn’t know if she would hear his voice, but he ended every interview with the same hope: Rommy was still home alive.

On January 19, within 15 months after she was released with two other women, when he finally talked to her daughter for the first time in 15 months, he got the answer.

“She said, ‘Dad, I go home alive.'”

He said: “I know that the interview at the time brought a lot of power to Lommy, many hope, and persistence.”

Romi Gonen, 24, is one of the earliest hostages released from Gaza. It is also one of the seven women released so far in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The uncertain process aims to end the war. About 250 people were abducted during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which caused war. There are still about 90 hostages in Gaza, although at least one -third of them died.

In the first stage of the ceasefire, Hamas agreed to gradually release 33 hostages in exchange for Israel to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. It is expected that six hostages will be released this week in exchange for hundreds of prisoners.

Israel has been preparing for the hostage and hopes that after being imprisoned for more than a year, many people may deal with the health problems or other physical and psychological problems of life. This week, Dr. Ami Benov, who is working with hostages, told reporters that these women are not in good physical condition and will face a long recovery process because they suffer from “mild hunger” and insufficient vitamins.

Eitan Gonen is sitting in a comprehensive building in central Israel. His daughter and other release of hostages are left. He will not comment on Lommy’s health, but there is still a long way to say in the future.

He said, “The recovery is just beginning.” Because she had been imprisoned for a long time, the family did not force her to speak. He said that on the contrary, they were trying to give her autonomy and control and let her accept everything with her own pace.

Like many others, Romi was captured at the New Star Music Festival. That morning, her sister and mother, Merav Leshem Gonen, plundered the militants on the festival venue and spoke at Romi for nearly five hours. Romi told her family that she would try to hide in the bushes, because the road was blocked by the abandoned car and escaped.

In the past two months, her family did not know whether she was dead. Eitan Gonen said they only learned that she was still alive from other hostages, and these hostages were released in a week after the attack.

He praised her daughter’s power, saying that she survived the Arabic to some extent, because this was the only way to communicate with the kidnappers.

“Human beings will do everything to survive. Anything. Moreover, because terrorists have no other languages ​​except Arabic, she has no chance to communicate with them-starting to learn their language. Release may be out of habits.

Eitan Gonen said that other things to help her live are the support of other hostages. For some time, Rommy and Emily Damari, the hostage of Israel, were released together, and she was released with her. “I believe that God sets up Emily and Romi in some way … survive each other … This is a vibrant two -person group.” He said.

Other release of hostages also express a similar point of view of the time of being imprisoned. The Israeli soldier Naama Levy was released on Saturday. He wrote in an article in Instagram that after staying alone for 50 days, when she was reunited with other abducted soldiers, she was reunited with other abducted soldiers, and She got power.

Dr. Einat Yehene, a psychologist who is engaged in trauma and loss, said that with someone’s hostages, he can provide strength for survival through unimaginable adversity.

Even though he finally let his daughter come back, Edan Gongning was still urging the Israeli government to continue to work hard to bring all the remaining hostages home. He urged the hostages to continue to interview with all languages ​​and media to maintain stress and let their relatives know that they were not forgotten.

But he mainly focuses on spending time with his daughter.

He said: “Even when it’s silent, touch, hug, look at her, I like to be with her.” “I miss it very much.”

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Associated Press reporter Melanie Lidman contributed to the report at Tel Aviv.