Agony as hostage families spend second holiday season without their loved ones
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Or Levy's brother Michael is a tall, kind man with a weather-beaten smile. Since the 7 October Hamas attack on Nova music festival, Michael has lost sleep over the abduction of his brother, the killing of his sister-in-law Einav and the delicate care needed to help his three-year-old nephew Almog survive without both his parents.
This is the second Hanukkah his family is marking without Or and Einav. One that is even more painful and strained than the last. "Or in Hebrew means 'light' and Hanukkah is a celebration of light - so for us, it is even more symbolic," he says. He shows a video of Or lighting Hanukkah candles with Einav and Almog two years ago. It was Almog's first and last Hanukkah with his parents.
"I have three little girls but it won't be the same. Hanukkah is a happy holiday - you light candles, you sing and eat all sorts of things but for us it is not a real holiday without Or.". Michael is the eldest of his three brothers and Or is the youngest.
As time drags on, the lack of proof of life is draining his hope. "Unfortunately, the only thing we know is that Or was kidnapped alive and wasn't injured but other than that and the assumption from the army that he is alive, we don't know anything," he says.
Ninety-six hostages are thought to be being held in Gaza, but as the war there continues and Israeli airstrikes pummel densely-populated areas, only two thirds of them are believed to be alive. Faces of 96 hostages who still haven't returned home to Israel.
"We are so close as families, some of those families became my family, so I felt like the hostages are my family as well. When you hear that 1..2..6..20 [hostages] were killed though they were alive, it kills you. I can't even describe how bad I felt.".
