Israel is not fighting to bring home my son’s body, says mother of murdered soldier

“Israel is not fighting for my son.”

Those were the exasperated words of Merav Daniel, mother to hostage Oz Daniel, an IDF sergeant, whose body has been held by Hamas in Gaza for more than 640 days after he was murdered on October 7 on the Gaza border.

“Every soldier, when they join the army is under the impression that the State will worry and [look out] for them,” she said to an intimate gathering of British Jews on Tuesday evening in central London. “But Israel is not fighting for my son. As a mother, I know it. To this day, not a single serving soldier [who is being held hostage] has been brought home by the military actions of the IDF in Gaza.”

Only seven hostages have been rescued alive by the IDF since October 7, none of them soldiers, and American-Israeli soldier and former hostage Edan Alexander, she said, was only released in May because of the Trump deal, “not because of anything the Israelis did”.

Marev Daniel (left) and her niece. Marev is mother to Oz Daniel, an IDF soldier whose body was abducted on October 7 and has been held by Hamas ever since (Credit: Gary Manhine)[Missing Credit]

Merav said she has not been able to “properly mourn” her son since learning of his murderer 142 days after his capture. Her family sat shiva for Oz, dedicated a tombstone, and were given his blood-soaked belongings that the IDF recovered from Gaza, but she feels “the circle has not closed” – and won’t do until her son’s body is returned to her.

Marev Daniel (Credit: Gary Manhine)[Missing Credit]

In a tearful appeal, just as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was meeting with Trump in Washington DC to discuss the proposed 60-day ceasefire and hostage release deal, Merav asked “everyone with a voice to please call for the release of the hostages”.

"Now is a critical moment in time. We are running around the world begging anyone we can to help,” she said.

Marev Daniel, mother of Oz Daniel, an IDF soldier, whose body was abducted on October 7 and has been held by Hamas ever since (Credit: Gary Manhine)[Missing Credit]

Merav was speaking alongside two other mothers of hostages and several other relatives of hostages during an evening event on Tuesday, organised by the Board of Deputies and the Hostage Families Forum UK.

Among those present was Rita Angrest, grandmother of hostage Matan Angrest, and his sister, Adi.

Rita Angrest and Adi Angrest, grandmother and sister of Matan Angrest, who is being held hostage (Credit: Gary Manhine)[Missing Credit]

Last month, the Angrest family decided to publicly release the disturbing footage of Matan’s capture so that he would not be “left behind” or forgotten. They said he was suffering from chronic asthma, untreated burns and infections, according to returned hostages who spent time in captivity with him.

Rita said: “For 640 days, our loved ones have been in hell, without or hardly getting food or water, being tortured. They gave my grandson electric shocks and sometimes he would faint and lose consciousness.

“After 640 days, we are not breathing, we are not living. It feels impossible to keep going. We want to start living again. This is not living.”

Galia David (centre), mother of Evyatar David (Credit: Gary Manhine)[Missing Credit]

Galia David, the mother of hostage Evyatar David, was present too. The only sign of life Galia has had of her son since his abduction from the Nova music festival was earlier this year when Hamas released footage of him in a minivan being forced to watch the handover ceremony of three other hostages.
“It was psychological terror,” she said. “I want nothing more than to hug my son, and to tell him: ‘You are safe now.’ It’s all I want.”