The Media Line: ‘We Cannot Live With the Thought That They Could Have Been Saved’: Families Demand Complete Release of Israeli Hostages 

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‘We Cannot Live With the Thought That They Could Have Been Saved’: Families Demand Complete Release of Israeli Hostages 

Families of Israeli captives warn phased deals risk leaving loved ones behind and undermining Israel’s values 

By Gabriel Colodro / The Media Line 

Ruby Chen has spent nearly two years fighting for the return of his son, Itay, held hostage in Gaza. As diplomatic momentum builds around a potential US-backed ceasefire deal that may be implemented in phases, Chen is clear: any agreement must guarantee the release of every single captive. 

“This, of course, puts the family in a very delicate position,” he told The Media Line. “We have been in a very difficult place where families have been trying to prioritize their loved ones and make sure that they are at the top of the list of those coming out. We feel as if … all of the hostages are humanitarian and need to come home.” 

Chen acknowledged the current proposal reflects the political reality of the moment but insists the objective must be complete liberation. “Our expectation is that it is possible. If there is a will, there is a way to start the ceasefire and immediately start the negotiation talks that will enable the last hostage to come out at the end of the 60-day ceasefire period.” 

For Dalia Cusnir, whose brother-in-law Eitan Horn remains in captivity, the diplomatic calculus is secondary to a simple truth: everyone must be brought home, no matter how. 

“I’m not a politician or a strategist,” she said. “I have a master’s degree in Jewish education, and I’ve worked in that field for 20 years. If you ask me, in my wishful thinking, of course I want all 50 hostages put on a bus and brought home now. But if we’re a bit more realistic, we understand that Hamas won’t return them all at once, even if the United States steps in with guarantees.” 

Cusnir said her family recognizes the reality on the ground but also sees a rare opportunity: “We are closer than ever to a deal. I hope it’s signed. And that’s thanks to the United States, to the leadership of Trump, and to the way Trump is forcing and helping Netanyahu leverage the recent military achievements with Iran. I hope this brings a new tomorrow in the Middle East.” 

Still, she fears that once again, Eitan may be left behind. “Do I like it? No. Do I have any promise that Eitan will be in that first phase? Also, no.” 

She spoke with anguish about Eitan’s fragile condition. “We know his medical situation is very serious. Five months ago, we received an urgent report that he wouldn’t survive more than a few weeks due to a severe skin condition. And since then, we haven’t heard anything. Not about him. Not about his health.” 

“The same goes for Alon, who may have lost his eyesight, and for Matan Angrest, who was badly wounded during the lynching. Every one of the hostages is in a critical situation. And the ones who were murdered—we’re in danger of losing their trace completely amid the destruction in Gaza.” 

Ruby Chen, for his part, warned that without strong guarantees, the cycle could repeat itself. “We do not want to be, again, placed in a position where some of the hostages come out and then there is a condition that needs to be met, and if not, then hostages will be left behind.” 

He called on Washington to play a decisive role. “The United States can and should give its guarantees that as long as the discussions are going on, the ceasefire stays in place and that the sides negotiate until the last hostage comes out.” 

But the families’ message is not only for the US. 

“We unfortunately have not felt that the dialogue with the government has been optimal,” said Chen. “We feel that the guidelines that we discussed, such as getting a deal that secures the last hostage, are not in place.” 

For Dalia Cusnir, the situation is even more painful. Her family lived through a split release: Her brother-in-law Yair came home; Eitan did not. 

“The first thing Yair asked after being freed was: why me and not Eitan?” she recalled. “From his point of view, he was less sick than Eitan. And nobody explained it to us. Nobody told us what this so-called ‘humanitarian list’ was. When we asked, they didn’t even know about Eitan’s illness.” 

“Can you imagine the feeling? That they simply didn’t know. That maybe he wasn’t on the list because they were unaware of his condition.” 

She added, “Yair is not well. He hasn’t been able to begin any recovery. He feels guilty every time he eats, every time he opens the fridge. He asks himself, with what right? With what right does he drink coffee? With what right does he live freely?” 

Dalia said Yair has now traveled to Washington for the third time since his release, driven by one thing: “To do everything possible, and to know that he did everything he could.” 

Asked whether the Israeli government is truly taking the families’ voices into account, Cusnir hesitated. “We don’t know anything. They say they’re doing everything, and we want to believe that. But it’s been nearly two years. It’s hard to live between those two poles.” 

Her disappointment is grounded in hard facts. “All 50 hostages are just one decision away. That decision could have been made earlier. The six hostages murdered in late August, including Carmel Gat and Hersh Goldberg-Polin, could have been saved. In total, 41 hostages died. Killed by Hamas, or by Israeli bombing, or because the army got too close. Forty-one.” 

She paused. “I don’t know if people understand the magnitude of what that means.” 

For both Chen and Cusnir, the call now is deeply moral. 

“It should have a Jewish compass,” said Chen. “The Jewish Bible … is based on a few principles. One of them is always prioritizing life over death and unity.” 

Cusnir echoed that sentiment: “The Jewish people have always sanctified life. That’s what has preserved us. That’s what sets us apart, not just from other peoples, but also from the terrorists.” 

“Nobody will remember how many terrorists were released, or how long it took to conquer some territory. But if there were people who could have been saved, and we didn’t save them, we will never recover from it.” 

She added that this is not just an Israeli matter: “If democratic countries don’t stand together now, this will start happening in other places. Hamas made it clear; they begin with Israel, but their goal is Europe, and then the US.” 

Chen addressed American negotiators directly: “Getting a deal in Gaza is the bottleneck to achieving US strategic goals in the region. There’s now an inflection point in the Middle East—Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia. This is the opportunity. And it is a US strategic interest to fulfill that vision.” 

He added, “My son has been held captive for 21 months. The US has a legal obligation to get him out, and the other American citizens held as well.” 

Cusnir had a final message for those around the table, from Netanyahu to Trump, to US envoys Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler, to the Qataris and Egyptians mediating the deal: “You have the option to save 50 lives. And also to save a fractured Israeli society that cannot continue like this.” 

She added, “You can change the course of history and be remembered as those who made the right decision. I want you to think about that. Internalize it. And then go out and do it. Bring us that deal. End the war. And bring all 50 hostages home.”