Kibbutz residents, one month on: ‘We want our children back’

By Joseph Tulloch

Just over a month ago, Rimon and Yagev Buchshtab disappeared, following a Hamas attack on their kibbutz.

They are presumed to be held hostage in Gaza.

In an interview with Vatican News, Yagev’s mother, Esther Buchshtab – who was also resident in the kibbutz – describes the horror of that Hamas attack, as well as her appreciation for Pope Francis’ calls for the release of all hostages.

Kidnap

“On Shabbat, October 7th,” Buchshtab recounts, “we were awakened by the red alert signal.”

Although residents were used to the alerts – which normally signified a rocket attack, Buchshtab explains – they soon realised this one was different. Gunfire and Arabic-speaking voices outside the door of their safe room indicated that Hamas militants were in the kibbutz.

Initially, Buchshtab and her husband were in phone contact with their son and daughter-in-law, but around 8am they stopped replying to messages.

Later, when Israeli troops arrived in the Kibbutz, Buchshtab says, “We asked the soldiers to take us to their house.”

“The windows were broken. The house was a wreck, with signs of vandalism and shooting, but Yagev and Rimon were not there. We understood that they had been taken hostage.”

Calls for release of hostages

As well as calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, Pope Francis has also repeatedly appealed for the immediate release of all the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

In her interview with Vatican News, Buchshtab took a moment to thank the Pope, saying that his appeal “means a lot to us.”

“We truly respect the Pope's worldwide influence and his strong moral stance,” she said. “We think his position has the potential to make a big difference in helping those who were kidnapped on that tragic day to return safely.”

“Above everything,” she stressed, “our most profound wish is to have our children back home and our families living in peace.”

Photos provided by the Buchshtab family