Where are you #MeToo?
Shachar, who lives in Sydney and is related to Naama's mother Ayelet Levy Shachar, told The AJN that the family was given information around March that Naama was still alive in Gaza.
Naama Levy’s cousin Zack Shachar has told The AJN the family received a sign of life earlier this year as pressure mounts on the Israeli government to prioritise a deal to release the hostages.
Last week a sickening three-minute video was released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum showing the abduction of teenagers Levy, Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger and Daniella Gilboa from the Nahal Oz base by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
Shachar, who lives in Sydney and is related to Naama’s mother Ayelet Levy Shachar, told The AJN that the family was given information around March that Naama was still alive in Gaza.
“That was the last sign of life that I know of,” Shachar said.
It came after released hostages at the end of November reported seeing Naama injured, but communicating.
Shachar said the families had already seen the harrowing video and approved its release in an effort to pressure the government to restart negotiations.
In the video, the five young women are bleeding and injured, with their wrists tied behind their backs. The Hamas terrorists filmed themselves abusing and threatening them, before each woman is marched to waiting Jeeps ready to take them into Gaza.
“For us, the family, we didn’t need that video to know what is going on there,” Shachar said.
“We didn’t need that to remind us. The video was to put pressure on the government, to tell them there is no time left for the hostages. The government must understand they must be released as soon as possible and anything else can be dealt with later.”
Photos of the young women were prominently displayed at a rally at Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station on Tuesday. The demonstration was especially aimed at highlighting the sexual violence that is most likely being inflicted on the them right now.
Organised by the grassroots activist group J-United, the gathering particularly called on women’s organisations to recognise the plight of the female hostages.
Sexual abuse survivor Nicole Meyer gave a speech in which she said many survivors of sexual abuse are silenced and not believed.
“I know the pain of this personally,” Meyer said, adding that she had watched the video and has not stopped thinking about the women every day since.
“Their suffering, their fear and yet their courage is so deeply impactful, a confronting reminder of the horrors that exist in out world. I watched that video with tears, shaking but determined to be witness and feel their pain.”
Shachar also took aim at the Australian government, saying their decision to recognise a Palestinian state is “basically a prize for being a terrorist”.
“The lesson for the kids is if you act with violence, you will achieve what you want,” Shachar said.
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