In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Liri Albag's family stated that they marked the Purim holiday by sharing childhood photos of her costumes throughout the years, pressuring negotiators not to forget her as she remains captive by Hamas.
Every year, Liri and her siblings would dress up in costume for Purim; however, this year, her sisters Roni and Shay Albag refused to participate in the holiday festivities.
Previous reports had claimed that Liri was exploited by her captors, with her mom stating that she moved "between houses. She had to cook for the family with whom she was staying, take care of their children, and clean their house.
The hostages had to prepare food but could not eat."
⚠️The Daily Mail approved:Israeli hostages were kept in the homes of families in Gaza. This is a photo of a room in Gaza where several Israeli hostages were kept, including Liri Albag, according to DNA found there.As I said, there are no innocents in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/3cK1TvhHyD
— Vivid. (@VividProwess) March 25, 2024
Shay said that looking at old photos of Liri was incredibly difficult and that it felt like it was "another life [ago].
Seeing old pictures of Liri "feels like another life"
"This is not a happy holiday. We are not going to drink, party, or celebrate because she's sitting there in the tunnels in Gaza. It's very hard for us."
Roni echoed her sister's claims, saying, "As I look at the pictures, she's so young and so happy. It's very hard to think about this - it's very hard to think about her."
The Daily Mail report claimed that IDF soldiers identified Liri's DNA from traces of blood found in a room where she was initially held captive; as seen in the photo, the room had children's toys and a pink dresser.
Hamas terrorists kidnapped Liri on October 7 from the Nahal Oz post, where she was serving as an observer, alongside other hostages Naama Levy, Daniela Gilboa, Karina Ariev, and Agam Berger.
The only signs of life her family has had of their daughter was in November when other hostages released in the hostage deals revealed the horrific conditions she was in.
"She was in a tunnel at the time, 40 meters under the ground, with no air, a lot of humidity, no toilet, no water.
She was drinking salt water from the sea and [didn't have] much food. That was [over 100 days ago]. Since then, we haven't heard anything."