Addressing crowds at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv on Monday - at an event marking 500 days since October 7 - Ofri Bibas Levy, the sister of Yarden Bibas, shared her brother's wish for the "nightmare to end."
Yarden Bibas was released from Hamas's captivity in a recent hostage exchange, however, his wife, Shiri, and young children, Ariel and Kfir, remain in Gaza.
"17 days since he returned, but he's still not really here," said Bibas Levy.
She relayed a conversation with her brother, who told her "I survived captivity's hunger, anxiety, fear, uncertainty, and psychological abuse. Now I'm here, but my life remains in captivity. There isn't a moment I don't think about my family. About Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir, wondering when they'll return to me and this nightmare will end.'"
Bibas Levy was joined by other families of hostages as well as released hostages themselves.
Iair Horn's first words
Iair Horn, a Hamas captivity survivor released on Saturday morning, gave his first public message following his release.
Former hostage Iair Horn makes first comments since his release from captivity, February 17, 2025. (credit: Hostages and Missing Families Forum)
His message, which was played at Monday night's protest marking 500 days of captivity, had one overall message: bring back his brother, Eitan.
"Everyone asks me 'What do you need?' and I answer them: I need only one thing - bring back my brother," he said in a message shown to a large crowd in Tel Aviv's Hostage Square.
In his remarks, Horn talked of his captivity of 498 days and being released before his brother, Eitan, who remains in Hamas captivity and is not slated for phase one of the hostage deal.
"I was there, I was in Hamas' tunnels, I experienced it firsthand. And I'm telling you - the hostages don't have time, we don't have time. They must be brought back now," he pleaded.In addition to calling for his brother's release, he called for the release of the remaining 73 hostages in captivity in Gaza.
Among the 73 hostages still in Gaza, some are known to be dead, and several hostage family members called for them to be returned so they can receive a proper burial and can be mourned.
Hostage survivor Noga Weiss, daughter of hostage survivor Shiri Weiss, learned that her father Ilan was murdered in captivity only after her release from captivity in November 2023.
"My father was murdered and taken to Gaza," she said. "He must return. He deserves a proper burial. I deserve to cry at my father's grave."