The parents of Alon Ohel, who was kidnapped to Gaza by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, presented a plan Monday to restart negotiations for the release of hostages. During a press conference at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Idit and Kobi Ohel revealed disturbing details about Alon's medical condition and called for immediate action to save the lives of wounded hostages.
The plan presented by the Ohel family includes three distinct stages. In the first stage, wounded hostages would be evacuated for medical treatment outside Gaza – to an American hospital in one of the Gulf states or to a European hospital. In the second stage, medical and humanitarian aid to Gaza would resume during the period of medical treatment. In the third stage, after the wounded are evacuated to a neutral country for a defined period of up to 72 days, and after humanitarian aid to Gaza is restored, the hostages would return to Israel as part of a comprehensive deal.
During the press conference, the parents explained that the humanitarian issue could be transformed into a political opportunity to save lives. They reported that the plan was presented to senior officials in the government, the IDF, and the negotiation teams, who promised to examine it thoroughly.
Idit Ohel described her son's grave condition, "Alon is wounded, he has lost sight in one eye. His second eye can still be saved. He has a serious head injury and has shrapnel throughout his body that threatens his life. We heard descriptions just a few days ago from [former hostage] Eliya Cohen, who survived captivity and was with him in Hamas captivity. Alon was kidnapped from the death shelter [the name given to a shelter many Nova attendees hid in and Hamas bombed repeatedly] after dozens of grenades were thrown inside and he was wounded by shrapnel, and afterward endured severe torture that included serious violence and rifle butts to his head. He received abysmal treatment from Hamas – a 19-year-old boy stitched him up with thread and needle, without any pain relief."
She added, "We cannot sleep at night knowing Alon is not home. And we cannot sleep knowing that there are countries providing medical treatment to Gaza residents, while wounded hostages in life-threatening conditions are held without treatment. What country does this? What international law allows this? Gaza violates every basic international rule when it holds wounded people without medical treatment."
Ronen Ohel, a family member, emphasized that negotiations have reached a complete standstill. He suggested that Israel should view the humanitarian aid requested by Gaza not merely as a concession but as a strategic opportunity. According to Ohel, this situation presents Israel with a chance to propose a plan that would prioritize evacuating wounded hostages for potentially life-saving medical treatment while addressing humanitarian concerns.
Kobi Ohel emphasized, "We spoke with senior officials in the government, the IDF, and the negotiation team. We presented them with the plan, which is humanitarian at its core. Everyone promised to examine it. The deal can be advanced in humanitarian stages. First – evacuating wounded hostages for life-saving treatment outside Gaza in agreed-upon hospitals. Then, renewing medical and humanitarian aid to Gaza, and finally, when a comprehensive deal is signed, returning the hostages to Israel."
The family emphasized that there are past precedents where Israel took similar actions. In the Jibril deal in the 1980s, prisoner Avraham Amram was transferred from Damascus to Geneva. In the Tannenbaum deal, Israeli prisoners and Lebanese prisoners were transferred to Germany for three days until the prisoner exchange was completed.
The Ohel family reiterated that there is no international legal basis that allows holding wounded people captive without providing them with medical treatment. "The humanitarian aid reaching Gaza comes from countries and international health organizations. It is unacceptable that they provide medical aid to Gazans while our hostages are in mortal danger," they stated.
In conclusion, the family called, "The humanitarian aid issue can be turned into a political opportunity. Lives can be saved. First stage – releasing the wounded for life-saving treatment outside Gaza, second stage – bringing in humanitarian aid, and finally – the complete release of all hostages from Gaza."
