Today, we and our community mourn the murder of six Israeli hostages at the hands of Hamas in the tunnels underneath Rafah, as the IDF was approaching. We grieve for Alex Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersch Goldberg-Polin, and Ori Danino. May their memories be a blessing. 

JSpaceCanada, along with the hostage families, Israeli citizens, and pro-peace diaspora Jewish organizations have been continually advocating for a hostage and ceasefire deal that would have brought these hostages, and the other 101 home months ago. Instead, we are left with the devastating news of their murders.

“The killing of these six hostages speaks to the utter depravity of Hamas and we should never forget that this is a terrorist group that will not hesitate to kill in cold blood,” says Maytal Kowalski,  JSpaceCanada executive director.

“It is precisely for this reason that a ceasefire and hostage deal must be secured imminently to bring home the remaining living hostages currently facing brutal and inhumane conditions. Not one more family should have to endure the pain these six families are feeling today.” 

We are also deeply frustrated and upset by the reports that a senior member of the Israeli negotiating team stated “We warned about this scenario. We told Netanyahu and the cabinet ministers that the hostages are running out of time and their lives are at risk. It fell on deaf ears.”

We stand with the Histadrut, Israel’s largest labour union, in their general strike to protest the Netanyahu government’s failure in the war, and with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and the many more businesses, schools, and individuals who will be joining protests all over the country calling for an immediate implementation of a hostage deal. 

The past 330 days since the brutal Hamas terror attacks on October 7 have wreaked havoc on far too many innocent civilians in Israel and Gaza. The “total victory” promised by the Netanyahu government could not be any further away, and the levels of death and devastation are far too high.

Only a diplomatic solution will end this travesty. Seal the deal now.