"There is no, one emotion that we [the hostage families] feel,” Gall Gilboa-Dalal, whose brother Guy Gilboa-Dalal is still being held in Hamas captivity, said on Wednesday, discussing his expectations for the second stage of the hostage-ceasefire deal.
Gilboa-Dalal spoke of how complicated the situation is at the moment for the hostage families who are not part of the first stage.
"On one hand, seeing the people that we fought for being released gives us tremendous hope and great strength." However, he also stressed that "there are so many things that could happen" before the second phase. "It makes a lot of us very worried, especially when we're speaking about the next phase."
Gilboa-Dalal expressed the hope that he has for the second phase of the deal. "I have no doubt that I will see him again.”
He explained that although there have not been any signs of life since October 7, he is still extremely optimistic. Hamas released a hostage video of Guy, Almog Meir Jan, and Evyatar David on the day of the attack, and Almog was rescued, but until that point, no one knew anything about his status either. This gives Gilboa-Dalal hope.
Gilboa-Dalal said that Guy is young, healthy, and strong, and so he sees no reason why Guy would not come back alive. He also emphasized the fact that Guy is not a soldier; he is a civilian, and so “he’s worth so much more to them [Hamas] alive.”
“I can see the light at the end of the tunnel”
Touching on the incoming administration, Gilboa-Dalal expressed that he has more hope than ever before. He believes that President Trump is exerting significant pressure on both sides to secure the rest of the deal. "We trust that Trump will use his strength to make sure that the deal will eventually be signed,” he said.
“I feel like it happened yesterday, but also it feels like years ago”
On October 7, Guy and Gilboa-Dalal attended the Nova Music Festival. Gilboa-Dalal survived the massacre and returned home, whilst Guy was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists and has been held captive ever since.
"I went there to watch over him, and I came back without him," Gilboa-Dalal explained that he was not supposed to go to the festival, but he went for Guy since it was his first time at any festival of this kind, so Gilboa-Dalal would be able to look out for him.
Gilboa-Dalal shared the guilt he felt that day, "Just imagine if you have kids. Losing your kids at the mall for one minute, what’s going through your mind.”
Gilboa-Dalal said that the Nova Festival was a gathering of all different people united by their advocacy for peace, with his brother, Guy, being one of them. This is what made it even more difficult for him to grasp that Guy could have been taken hostage.
"We always need the strength to keep fighting"
Gilboa-Dalal expressed how his family has supported each other throughout this period. "We give each other strength," he said.
He also discussed Guy's close relationship with him and his sister. "Guy’s my baby brother, but he’s also an older brother for my little sister." He explained that despite their seven-year age gap, he and Guy are best friends who share the same hobbies and interests.
Guy's brother Gilboa-Dalal mentioned that he's a self-taught guitar player and loves Japanese culture to the extent that he planned to go on a trip to see the Sakura (cherry blossom) in Japan last April. "He even taught himself to read and write in Japanese to go on this trip."
Gilboa-Dalal conveyed the impact of Guy's time in captivity on the rest of his family. He explained, "I left home a year before he was kidnapped. My little sister was left alone to deal with my parents." He explained how the situation has had both a physical and emotional impact on him and his family, saying, "It affects the mind and the body." Guy and Gilboa-Dalal's mother, Meirav, recently had open heart surgery.
Gilboa-Dalal also stressed how he and his family, along with his friends, are desperate for Guy to come home. "It’s not like you forget his face or his voice, but once you hear it again, it takes you back to a conversation with him, a moment with him.” He added that he is tired of seeing pictures. He just wants to see Guy.
He describes Guy as "the kind of guy that makes you laugh" and says that "he has so many friends, and they all consider him their best friend."
Gilboa-Dalal’s main message was one of hope. He explained that everybody has some role to play in the return of the hostages. "With everyone doing what they can, in the end, we will bring them home."