Nurit Cooper, 79, is one of the Israeli hostages released by Hamas. But her son, Rotem Cooper, continues to press for the urgent release of the remaining hostages, especially those who are old and sick.
He has a personal stake in the matter. His father, Amiram Cooper, who will turn 85 on Dec. 11, remains a hostage.
“A concrete arrangement is needed to rescue the elderly and the people with chronic conditions. And we know that time is of the essence,” Rotem Cooper said earlier this week. “With the elderly, a few weeks or a few days could make the difference between people making it out alive or not.”
As Israel resumed airstrikes on Gaza on Friday, his worry intensified.
“I and my family are all very concerned about the safety of my father now that the war is raging again,” he said. “We were hoping for the cease-fire and hostages exchange to resume with the release of elderly hostages like my father.”
Amiram and Nurit were kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz. According to what he has learned from his mother, who was freed on Oct. 23 after 17 days of captivity, and others who have been released in recent days, his parents and others were kept underground in tunnels, five prisoners in a small room with little light or ventilation. The sandy ground had a flimsy porous covering over it. There was a mattress and a few pillows.
Food was scarce. Most days they were given pita with olive oil. Occasionally there were cheese and cucumbers.
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