‘This Terror Attack Is Ongoing’: Mother of Israeli Hostage Brutalized By Hamas Speaks to CNN a Year After Daughter Was Taken

CNN anchor Bianna Golodryga interviewed two mothers of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas for over a year now. Golodryga spoke to Ayelet Levy Shachar and Shira Albag , mothers of hostages Naama Levy and Liri Albag , who were abducted from southern Israel and dragged into Gaza. Video of Naama Levy being forced into the back of a vehicle by a Hamas gunman with her pants bloodied and ankles cut was seen around the world and became emblematic of the brutality and horror of October 7th.

Golodryga began the segment by noting, “It’s any parent’s nightmare not being able to protect their child. Yet that’s exactly what happened one year ago on the morning of October 7th, when then 19-year-old Naama Levy was dragged by her hair at gunpoint by a militant. Her pants soaked in blood in one of the first harrowing videos that Hamas released of that fateful day.”

“She was abducted alongside several other Israeli female soldiers at Nahal Oz military base near Israel’s border with Gaza. Now, you’re seeing here in another chilling Hamas video. Among them was her friend, Liri Albag, who was 18 at the time. They were all working as IDF observers, a role that involves monitoring border security. Military service is mandatory in Israel,” Golodryga continues as a clip of the girls’ abduction is played on the screen:

Naama tries to tell her captors that she has Palestinian friends. Once she has taken part in an Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative, Liri and Naama’s mothers are still stuck on that day.

“This terror attack is ongoing for a year now. Our girls are in the same terror attack,” says Levy’s mother to CNN.

“Liri and Naama are little girls, they are young girls. That [for] one year are there in hell,” Albag’s mother adds.

“Hamas’s rampage left more than 1200 people dead. Another 250 were taken hostage. Over 100 are thought to remain in captivity to this day, according to Israel’s prime minister’s office. But it’s unclear how many are still alive. The attacks triggered Israel’s war in Gaza, which has killed more than 41,000 people. For these two women, a ceasefire deal is standing in the way of their reunion with their children,” Golodryga then noted.

“People in the world forget them. Our government and the media, the media and all over the world, they forget that they are still there,” added Albag’s mother.

“In July, the families decided to release this updated photo of their daughters in captivity, saying that time is running out,” continued Golodryga.

Levy’s mother is then seen showing Golodryga Naama’s bedroom. “People made this for her. It’s for when she comes. What does this say? We missed you. You are our sunshine,” they say to each other.
“When I visited the Levy home earlier this year, I was struck by how Naama’s bedroom looked more like that of a pre-teen than a nearly 20-year-old girl. For now, they hold onto the memories and the hope of embracing their girls again,” Golodryga added.

“We are hoping, hoping that they are together there and helping each other survive. You know, we’re trying to be strong for one another here,” Levy’s mom concluded.

“Lives upended. And as the conflict continues to widen, there is seemingly no end in sight to their anguish,” Golodryga said ending the segment.

Watch the clip above via CNN.