Release of Palestinian terrorists and criminals ‘difficult price to pay’ to bring hostages home

Israelis whose families were murdered by Palestinian terrorists released as part of the hostage exchange have said it was a ‘difficult price to pay’ but necessary to ensure loved ones could be reunited.

Abie Moses’s wife, Ofra, and son Tal who were murdered in 1987; right, freed Israeli hostage Romi Gonen with her mother Merav last month.

Abie Moses watched with tears streaming down his face as young Israeli hostages were released in exchange for the man who murdered his pregnant wife and five-year-old son.

The bitter swap that let the killer be returned to Gaza would, he said, allow another family to hug all their children again, as he never will.

Israelis whose families were murdered by Palestinian terrorists since released as part of the hostage exchange have told The Australian it was a “difficult price to pay” but necessary to ensure loved ones could be reunited.

Muhammad Daoud murdered Abie Moses’s pregnant wife, Ofra, and five-year-old son Tal when he firebombed their car in 1987. Abie’s two other children were severely burnt.

In the first hostage exchange agreed in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on January 19, Daoud – who was serving two life sentences – was released along with hundreds of other convicted Palestinian prisoners and terrorists.

Abie Moses.

“I spoke to my two children and said ‘I cannot bring them (Ofra and Tal) back’,” Mr Moses told The Australian, speaking in a personal capacity.

“So this (the exchange) is something to allow mothers and fathers to hug their own children returning (as hostages) from Gaza.”

Mr Moses said his tears “flowed” as he saw footage of the hostages, Emily Damari, Romi Goren and Doron Steinbrecher, being reunited with their families, calling that moment “unbelievable”.

“It was so emotional, it was exactly what I wanted to see, because I cannot bring back my wife and child and hug them,” he said.

Mr Moses has, for the past three decades, volunteered his time to lead the Organisation of Victims of Terrorism.

Abie Moses, right, pictured with his wife, Ofra, before her murder in 1987.

On Thursday Hamas released three Israeli and five Thai hostages kidnapped during the group’s October 7 massacre – Gadi Moses, 80, Agam Berger, 20, and Arbel Yehud, 29 – with more of the 82 still held set to be released on Saturday. The Thai hostages were Thenna Pongsak, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Seathao and Surasak Rumnao.

In exchange, 110 Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons, including 32 with life sentences and 30 minors.

For some, the hostage exchanges have offered a chance for closure after the horrific events of October 7, 2023, when 1200 Israelis were killed in a surprise Hamas attack.

Sigal Halifa’s 24-year-old daughter, Gaya, was murdered by Hamas terrorists on that day in 2023 while attending the Nova music festival in Re’im on. In her final moments Gaya was with her best friend, Romi Gonen, who was taken hostage by Hamas.

Romi was one of the hostages released on January 19. And now Gaya’s family has a chance to find out more about what happened to their daughter.

A month shy of her 25th birthday, Gaya was on the phone to her father, Avi, who believes he heard his daughter’s final breaths before she came under Hamas gunfire while attempting to flee the festival site.

“(October 7) was a horrific day, it still feels like this morning,” Ms Halifa said.

Gaya Halifa, slain by Hamas on October 7 at the age of 24.

Halifa with her best friend, Romi Gonen, who was taken hostage but released by the terror group on January 19.

Understanding that Romi must have time to acclimatise after her release, Ms Halifa said she would talk to her daughter’s best friend soon to understand exactly how Gaya was murdered on October 7.

“It makes us so happy that she’s back in Israel, Gaya and Romi were each other’s guardian angels, and we always believed that she would return alive from captivity,” Ms Halifa said.

“She is the only person who can tell us about everything that happened to Gaya. She needs time together with her family, but we hope to talk to her soon and tell us what happened to (our daughter).”

Ms Halifa said that for Israelis and the international Jewish community, every hostage who was returned brought “great joy”, but that it was a trade-off with a price the country had to pay.

“The price Israel pays in return (for hostages being released) is not easy,” she said.

“While we receive back our citizens who were partying or sleeping in their homes while they were kidnapped, Hamas received back murderers and (terrorists).“

Mr Moses said it was hard to understate the importance to Israelis of bringing the hostages back, which has played out via protests for 16 months in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, demanding the Netanyahu government secure a deal to “bring them home”.

“We won’t give up on bringing each of them back,” he said, calling October 7 “horrific” and illustrative of Hamas’ lack of “humanity”.

“And (the hostages) are not prisoners of war, they didn’t fight against Hamas, they were just picked from their homes.”