Yehuda searches by a downstairs room on the lookout for a plastic bag containing essentially the most valuable of objects.
It is a small, blackened Rubik’s Dice that belongs to Yehuda’s son Nimrod – certainly one of 20 residing Israeli hostages nonetheless being held by the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.
It was present in Nimrod’s burnt-out tank after the October seventh assaults.
“He likes PlayStation and Rubik’s Cube,” says Nimrod’s mom, Vicky.
“They found the Rubik’s Cube in the tank. It was complete but a little bit dark and they brought it back to us.”
Picture:
Vicky Cohen
We spoke to Nimrod’s mother and father Yehuda and Vicky concerning the emotional rollercoaster hostage households in Israel are going by – as hope rises and fades of a ceasefire settlement with Hamas.
“I still have hope that maybe I will see Nimrod again,” says Vicky.
“It almost breaks my heart because I still had expectation,” she says – despite the most recent failure to search out decision in talks between Israel and Hamas in Doha.
“But I still have hope that maybe something good will happen,” she says.
Picture:
Nimrod’s charred Rubik’s Dice
Vicky says: “We heard [during] the last weeks, President Trump saying we will hear about a ceasefire soon – next week – in a few days.
“We heard our prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] say visiting Washington and assembly Trump was very profitable – and heard members of the coalition speaking about our prime minister ultimately understanding he wants to finish the battle. However till now nothing.”
The delegation coming back to Israel doesn’t mean a total collapse of ceasefire talks, but US envoy Steve Witkoff said the response to the latest ceasefire proposals by Hamas showed “a scarcity of need”.
And so the rollercoaster of emotion for the hostage households continues.
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Picture:
Nimrod
Nimrod’s father Yehuda Cohen mentioned: “Of course it’s a disappointment but it’s not the first one. A long time ago I learned not to get my expectations up so the disappointment won’t be too deep.
“The answer may be very easy – I’ve received it on my shirt – ceasefire and hostage deal. Which means the one approach to get all of the hostages is ending the battle.”
Picture:
Nimrod’s father Yehuda
Yehuda exhibits us Nimrod’s bed room on the household house. It is precisely because it was when Nimrod left to return to his military duties just a few days earlier than the October 7 assaults.
Besides in a nook, there is a field of uniforms and private possessions, together with a pockets which Nimrod had left at his military outpost – all returned to the household by the IDF.
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Faucet to observe
Picture:
The IDF handed Nimrod’s mother and father a field of his possessions left at his military outpost
It is similar to the bed room of some other teenager – Nimrod was 19 when he was kidnapped. However two birthdays have handed since then. Nimrod is 21 now – a milestone spent in captivity just a few weeks in the past.
It is believed there are 20 residing Israeli hostages in Gaza – all male – and that Hamas is holding the our bodies of 27 extra hostages who’ve been killed.
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Hunger in Gaza continues
However even when a deal is agreed, the primary part is anticipated to safe the discharge of solely half of the residing hostages – and Nimrod’s mother and father say their son, as a soldier, isn’t prone to be one of many 10.
Yehuda says: “A partial deal means that the probability my son will be on that list is close to zero. So he’s going to be one of the last ones to be released, and that’s why we have to fight.”
