Canadian family of Hamas hostages calling for their release at any cost

As the Rafah border crossing from Gaza to Egypt opens to people for the first time since the war between Israel and Hamas began, families of Hamas hostages are calling on the Canadian government to secure their release. 

At least 20 Palestinian patients and 110 dual nationals have left so far and over 200 have been approved to leave. None of them are Canadian citizens.

It’s been 25 days for families of the Hamas hostages as they continue waiting for word on their loved ones.  

Canadian Aharon Brodutch is speaking out about the violent kidnapping of his close relatives, including children and the desperation to get them home

A non-stop roller coaster of emotion is how Brodech described the last three weeks.

The Toronto resident’s sister in-law Hagar, 10-year-old niece Ofri, two young nephews Yuval and Uriah, were taken by Hamas during a rampage at their Kibbutz near the Gaza border.

“My niece, hopefully, she’s just an incredible child. So fun-loving,” Brodutch tells CityNews. “He’s an incredibly, incredibly smart kid, very sensitive,” he added of his nephew.

His brother, Avichai, survived the attack as he was not home when his wife and children were taken. 

“He said the last text message he got from [her] is that they are coming in – and I know what’s been happening – they’ve been going house to house killing everyone inside,” said Brodutch. “A day and a half later I was crying I called my mom and she told me someone saw them being taken into Gaza. They are alive. I immediately started crying tears of joy. 

“She’s a very strong person, and I’m sure she’s sort of keeping strong there, but I’m sure she also carries the weight of the world on her shoulders, caring not only for her own kids … but also for everyone around her,” Brodutch added about his sister-in-law.

Brodutch tells CityNews the last 25 days have been agonizing for his family not knowing if the kids and their mother are dead or alive or how they are being treated.

“I don’t read the news because the little bit I get, if I have to think about what they are going through, it will paralyze me.”

So far, five hostages have been released, a mother and daughter from the U.S., two elderly Israeli women and an Israeli soldier. But more than 200 still remain in Gaza in the hands of Hamas, taken hostage during their attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians.

Since the attack, more than 8,700 Palestinians have been killed in the war, mostly women and minors, and more than 22,000 people have been wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Wednesday.

“The Israeli military did not protect my family and they should have and they are not protecting them now because they are not back and I think every single day that they are not back, the Israeli military is failing at their job,” said Brodutch. “We wake up worried we spend the whole day worrying about their wellbeing,” said Brodech.

He said keeping the focus on his loved ones and all the hostages is his mission right now. On Monday, he spoke on Parliament Hill alongside other families who are also suffering.

“I think there’s a lot the Canadian government can do. Canada has been a world leader in in many on many pressing issues, many pressing humanitarian issues. And this is this is a humanitarian issue,” said Brodutch. “This is not about taking sides in conflict. This is about bringing women, children, elderly back to their families.”