After releases, an invisible divide separates Israel’s hostage families

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Updated December 12, 2023 at 7:07 p.m. EST|Published December 12, 2023 at 3:45 p.m. EST
Nahum Kirsht and his wife, Avital, whose daughter was held hostage in Gaza with their son-in-law. (Heidi Levine for The Washington Post)
7 min

TEL AVIV — The Kirsht and Argamani families have shared a lot over the past awful months: both had daughters kidnapped by Hamas militants on Oct. 7; both have a parent battling the final stages of cancer; both pleaded to see their child before it’s too late.

Now they find themselves in very different categories. The Kirshts are among the families that had a joyous reunion during the flurry of hostage releases in late November. The Argamanis are not.

Israel-Gaza war

The Israel-Gaza war has gone on for six months, and tensions have spilled into the surrounding region.

The war: On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel that included the taking of civilian hostages at a music festival. (See photos and videos of how the deadly assault unfolded). Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel’s creation in 1948.

Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars, killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “famine-like conditions.” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave.

U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians, including President Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons, funds aid packages, and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations’ cease-fire resolutions.

History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Read more on the history of the Gaza Strip.