Sunday marked a decade since Avera Mengistu, an Israeli citizen, was captured by Hamas in Gaza. To commemorate this grim milestone, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum organized a rally at the Hostages' Square in Tel Aviv.
Ten years ago, in the aftermath of Operation Protective Edge, Mengistu crossed the border into Gaza and vanished. At 28, the Ashkelon resident, who struggled with mental health issues, breached the fence near Zikim Beach and was subsequently captured by Hamas.
Until the tragic events of Oct. 7, Mengistu was among a small group of Israelis being held in Gaza by Hamas. This group included the bodies of soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, captured during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, and Hisham Shaaban Abu Sayid, a Bedouin from southern Israel who crossed the fence in 2015.
A decade later, and in the wake of the devastating attack on southern Israeli communities and the onset of the Iron Swords War, these four individuals, along with 101 Israelis abducted on Oct. 7, remain in Gaza. The Sunday rally at the Hostages' Square served as a poignant reminder of their prolonged captivity.
Ayelin Mengistu, Avera's father, shared his family's anguish: "We've endured 10 years of darkness. Unrelenting darkness. Our family finds no rest, day or night. We're tortured by uncertainty – is he healthy or ill? Is he eating? Sleeping? Receiving medical care? Each day, I pray that I won't die before seeing him again."
The gathering drew family members, friends, and relatives of those taken captive in the past year, all united in their grief. Among those present were Avera's parents, Agarnesh and Ayelin Mengistu, his brother Ilan, Tzur Goldin (brother of Hadar Goldin, whose remains are held by Hamas in Gaza), and Sha'aban al-Sayed, father of Hisham al-Sayed.
