A Father's Day plea: My child has become a number in Hamas's hell

For 614 days — 614 endless days and nights — my lad Segev has been held captive successful the underground tunnels of Gaza, a captive of Hamas terrorists who stole him from the Nova euphony festival connected that horrific October 7 morning. 

He was 1 of 251 hostages taken, and today, 55 stay successful captivity successful Gaza.

I americium asking you to ideate thing nary genitor should ever person to contemplate: How would you consciousness if your child—whom you raised, protected, and loved each time of their life—was trapped successful the hands of monsters? How would you header knowing your lad is suffering torture, some carnal and psychological, starving successful acheronian portion you helplessly number each passing hour? 

Segev is my mediate son. He is funny, sharp, astute and compassionate. He worked alongside maine successful our household bakery. 

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Segev Kalfon, 27, was kidnapped from the Nova festival connected Oct. 7, 2023 by Hamas terrorists. (Kalfon family)

On October 7, helium went to the Nova festival with his person Asaf. We were successful regular interaction with Segev erstwhile the rocket alerts began. We told him to travel location immediately, and helium reassured my woman and I that determination was thing to interest about. We didn't adjacent deliberation terrorists were involved—just alerts that would walk similar they ever do.

Despite observing the Sabbath, we turned connected the tv to recognize what was happening, and that's erstwhile I saw the horrors unfolding connected the news. I called Segev to pass him astir the violent infiltration, and I could perceive him moving portion helium said determination was gunfire and that helium would instrumentality to america later. That was the past clip I heard his voice.

I rushed to a infirmary down southbound and recovered implicit chaos, with wounded radical arriving from the party. I was desperately asking everyone if they had seen Segev, praying I mightiness find him among the injured alternatively than look what I was opening to fear. Then they called maine location due to the fact that Asaf had returned with devastating news—he had witnessed Segev being kidnapped.

They tried to flight together. They ran done the fields, and successful a split-second determination that would alteration everything, Segev chose to transverse the roadworthy portion Asaf hid successful adjacent bushes. Asaf watched helplessly arsenic terrorists captured my lad and threw him into their vehicle.

My lad is inactive there. 

Kobi Kalfon with his lad Segev during happier times. Segev has been held hostage by Hamas successful Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023. (Kalfon family)

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A mates of months ago, a hostage who spent clip with Segev successful captivity reached retired to us. At first, helium described the adjacent bonds that formed betwixt the hostages and however they managed to observe the Sabbath unneurotic connected Fridays. But arsenic we talked longer, the unspeakable world of what they endured began to aboveground - systematic torture, deliberate starvation, relentless intelligence abuse. 

Every greeting I aftermath up successful dread. Every nighttime I prevarication awake imagining my lad crying retired successful that underground hell, wondering if anyone tin perceive him. I privation him to cognize that helium indispensable clasp on, adjacent though it's incredibly difficult. We are radical of faith. I commune that helium tin look up, rise his head, and find spot for his soul. I request him to proceed being strong.

My household is connected the borderline of sanity. Since Segev was kidnapped, we haven’t stopped warring to bring him home. We enactment successful demonstrations, conscionable with decision-makers and enactment to rise nationalist consciousness astir his concern and that of the different hostages. We cannot unbend for adjacent a moment. How tin we? 

We marked Segev's 27th day this past January — his 2nd day successful captivity. How bash you observe erstwhile your kid is trapped successful darkness?

We trust connected you. We request planetary – and specifically American involvement. Thanks to President Donald Trump, himself a begetter who understands the ineffable enslaved betwixt genitor and child, we person seen galore hostages instrumentality home. Because of Trump and his administration, I watched galore families reunite. Many friends of mine, who implicit the past twelvemonth and much person go similar 1 large family, are embracing their loved ones again.

A bring them location necklace with a yellowish ribbon pin during a tribute to the victims of the Oct. 7, 2023 panic onslaught connected Israel by Hamas, connected Oct. 6, 2024. (Getty Images)

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President Trump accomplished thing impossible. But tragically, months person passed since those hostages returned, warring has intensified, and this puts the remaining hostages successful adjacent greater danger. We perceive testimonies astir the intolerable conditions successful which the hostages are held, astir aesculapian neglect, and the maltreatment they experience. The cognition that Segev is live gives maine hope, but besides deepens my despair. Just reasoning astir him and the others who stay trapped successful that hellhole becomes its ain signifier of torture. 

To each begetter speechmaking this: ideate however you would feel, however you would header — knowing your son, your child, is held captive by terrorists. Undergoing torture. How would you negociate to past tomorrow? I americium Segev’s father. I volition ne'er halt being his father.  

I volition ne'er halt warring for him.

I don't privation these feelings connected immoderate parent. I americium begging you: don't crook distant from our pain. Don't fto these 55 hostages go forgotten numbers. Segev is not conscionable a statistic—he is my son.

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This Father's Day, arsenic you clasp your children, retrieve mine. Think of the 55 who person been trapped successful violent tunnels for much than 600 days. Their clip is moving out. My lad and 54 others are waiting for america to bring them home. They are waiting for the satellite to retrieve that they are not numbers—they are beloved children whose fathers volition never, ever halt warring for their return.