Family members of former and slain hostages expressed an immediate need to receive more government assistance and long-term support during the Knesset’s Internal Affairs and Environment Committee meeting on Monday.
Meirav Leshem Gonen, mother of former hostage Romi, spoke on the ongoing struggle that follows hostages and their families in the period following their return. Romi was held captive for 471 days in Hamas captivity and released by the terror group as part of the January hostage-ceasefire deal.
“We look fine, we function, we smile, but no one knows what happens behind the scenes,” Gonen told the panel.
“The financial support provided to families of the returnees simply doesn’t exist. We are a family whose daughter came back severely injured, and we still haven’t returned to any kind of normal life,” she said.
“I haven’t gone back to work, and it’s hard for me to keep our household running.”
Gonen called for the government “to find a solution, especially for those who came back after more than 700 days,” referring to the most recent round of living and slain hostages returned as part of the current ceasefire-hostage deal this month.
Three complex surgeries
Gonen also spoke about her daughter’s ongoing rehabilitation process after she went through three complex surgeries due to the injuries she sustained on October 7. She called for government support toward physical rehabilitation.
“The physical support provided to returnees amounts to just 4,000 shekels a year, when their physical needs require almost daily assistance.
Further, she called for the government to fund psychological treatment “for a very long period, for the entire family, especially for siblings, who are part of a massive support circle that has been deeply harmed and currently receives no adequate help at all.”
Hana Cohen, aunt of slain hostage Inbar Haiman, whose remains were returned from Gaza for burial last week after being held by Hamas since October 7, told the panel that Haiman’s father was granted only 20% disability benefits after submitting a request to the National Insurance Institute.
“That’s absurd,” Cohen said, adding, “Where is the support you promised to the families of the fallen hostages? They lost their jobs and will not be able to return to work. We are left with our pain.”
Yitzhak Kreuzer (Otzma Yehudit), chairperson of the committee that led the discussion, called for clear procedures and structured budgets to be defined for the families.
The discussion was based on findings from a previous report, which had revealed failures in coordination between the government’s Hostages Directorate, ministries, and local authorities.
“The events of October 7 will stay with us for many years to come, and as a state, we must not leave the families of the hostages and the fallen alone,” Kreuzer said.
“We demand to enshrine in law and in future budgets the rehabilitation process and the official status of these families and to create a uniform standard of care that does not depend on one’s place of residence,” he added.