Romi Gonen’s family holds onto hope, six months into her captivity

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Six months after she shared her final telephone name along with her daughter, Meirav Gonen says she trusts the universe to carry her residence.

Romi, 23, was kidnapped from Israel’s Supernova music competition on Oct. 7. Over a harrowing 4 and a half hours, Meirav listened as her daughter described the horrific issues she was witnessing.

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“She was terrified,” Meirav advised the Nationwide Publish final October. “She advised me, ‘Mommy, I’m afraid. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know the place to go.’”

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Half a yr later, Romi stays a captive of Hamas.

“Individuals assume she’s in jail, however she’s not in jail, she’s in hell,” Meirav says. “Simply think about the impossibility of communication with hell. This is identical.”

Meirav mentioned the final replace she obtained got here from hostages who had been returned throughout the momentary ceasefire final November.

“A few of them had been along with her within the tunnels and that’s the final data we acquired for 125 days,” she says. She is aware of Romi had been shot in her proper hand and that her fingers had change into discoloured however past that, nothing.

“I’ve no new data, whether or not she misplaced her hand, or something.”

Within the face of Romi’s absence, Gonen says she continues to attract power from her household, together with a Canadian cousin that’s now in Israel, her husband and 4 different youngsters in addition to from the Hostage and Lacking Households Discussion board, a volunteer-run group devoted to reuniting hostages with their family members.

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“I’m a mom and I’ve obligations to my children. One is to maintain them secure. The second is to offer them the assist they should develop and be good individuals. And for the final half a yr, I do know I’ve failed on this accountability to Romi. However I’ve 4 different children that take a look at me and anticipate my steerage. They see how I act they usually study from it. This accountability to my 5 children is one factor that has pushed me ahead. We’re speaking to one another and listening to one another and we’re doing it on a regular basis. We’re strengthening ourselves and ensuring we’re collectively.”

She describes Romi, who was working as a waitress earlier than the competition, as effortlessly endearing, deeply compassionate, and pushed by a love of journey and exploration. After spending seven months in South America final yr, she had been saving up for one more journey earlier than she was taken hostage.

She says that she believes the world is having difficulties understanding “what we’re going by means of.”

“I feel the world can not grasp what occurred right here on October seventh. And because the days go by, they perceive much less and fewer what’s going on with the scenario right here within the Center East.”

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She says that the cruelty and complexity is troublesome to grasp however she needs the world to “attempt to think about.”

“We speak about peace, we speak about negotiation and we all know what these phrases are, however if you discuss to Hamas, the phrases are completely different. Hamas will do no matter it wants to harm us, to make us weak. I’m not speaking concerning the Palestinians. It’s two various things. The Palestinians are ruled by Hamas and Hamas is merciless to them, not simply to us, now we have to keep in mind that.”

Mierav says that she retains her bond with Romi alive by talking to her and listening as in the event that they had been speaking, even when that’s not potential in the meanwhile.

“I belief our connection. I belief the universe to be aligned with the truth I wish to see. And he or she’s my daughter so I do know she’s sturdy. I do know she is going to do no matter she wants, like I’ll do no matter she wants, to return again residence.”

She says if she may communicate along with her instantly, her message could be one among power and love and encouragement.

“Should you’re listening, I really like you. I’m sturdy for you and I do know you might be sturdy for your self and for me, additionally. Your brothers and sisters love you. Your father, your grandmother, the entire of Israel is doing no matter she will be able to to take you out of there and we are going to succeed since we’re collectively in it. You simply maintain on, simply maintain on and be very courageous and powerful.”

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