Tel Aviv.- During our visit to the Hostages’ Mate – Forum of Hostages’ Families, we found a space filled with symbolism and memory, created to keep alive the voice of those who still remain in captivity in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
High in the trees hang the photographs of the 48 kidnapped people who still remain in Gaza, of the 251 people, of whom, according to the army, 25 are dead, and around 20 are believed to be alive, two remain unconfirmed and the rest have already been declared dead.
The place is full of elements with deep meanings:
• The pita bread depicted in a mural, in memory of the testimonies of those liberated who recounted having survived by eating barely half a pita a day in the tunnels.
• Alon Oed’s piano, kidnapped at the Nova festival, today replaced by a replica that everyone can play as a symbol of his presence and resilience.
• The monument of the embrace, which symbolizes the fight to prevent the memory of the kidnapped from fading.
• A replica tunnel, 20 to 25 meters long, that allows visitors to feel for a few seconds what it means to live in the dark, as the captives have done for more than 700 days.
The space is strategically located in front of the Tel Aviv Courthouse and the Kirya, the central base of the army, where national security decisions are made. There, a digital clock counts the days since the October 7 attack: 703 days, while the hours and minutes continue to add up.
