Gaza Conflict: Israeli families affected by Hamas attack urge global stand against Islamist violence

Families of the victims urged on Wednesday that in order to stop Islamist extremism from spreading, the international community must stand up against it and take action to guarantee the quick release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas militants following their attack on southern Israel on October 7.

A family delegation travelled to Rome to negotiate with government officials, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as part of a global initiative to support the liberation of the over 200 hostages.

Following the attack on southern Israel that claimed 1,400 lives, some 222 persons were taken prisoner. Following the liberation of two hostages on Friday who held dual Israeli and American citizenship, Hamas released two Israeli civilian women on Monday.

Over 6,500 people have died in the Gaza Strip, which is governed by Hamas, according to health officials, since Israel started its offensive.

The Oct. 7 Hamas attack claimed the lives of three dual Italian-Israeli citizens: Eviatar Moshe Kipnis and his spouse Lilian Le Havron, who were both inside the main target, the Beeri kibbutz.

After losing his uncle in the same attack, their son Nadav travelled to Italy to demand that all hostages—including some of his family members—be released.

“These people are just civilians who did not deserve any of these traumatic events that happened to them, which are comparable only to the Holocaust,” he said.

“Israel itself can only deal with Hamas as a terrorist organisation, but (Israel) cannot negotiate with them,” he told Reuters, saying states such as Qatar and Egypt would be in the position to put pressure on Hamas to release the hostages.

He expressed sadness over the fact that some of the protesters who walked to the streets in Europe to support Palestine supported Hamas at a time when Islamist terror was resurfacing in France and Belgium.

“The narrative that Hamas are fighting for freedom is just false,” he said. “Hamas are fighting other religions.”