Israeli sisters visit Long Island to urge support for freeing their family and other hostages held by Hamas
WOODMERE, N.Y. -- Two Israeli sisters traveled to Long Island on Monday hoping to keep their father's story alive after he and several other family members were kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7.
As photos and videos of her father played on the screen behind her, Rinat Har Sheleg described the agony of the unknown.
"My father sent me the last message that they get inside the house, they're shooting everything, they broke everything, and he sent kisses to all of us, and then I didn't hear from him anymore," Sheleg said through tears.
Sheleg and her sister Natali Har said their father, his life partner and four other family members were taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack in Israel.
"We lost our home, we lost our father. My kids lost their grandfather also, and they lost their mom because I'm not fun anymore," said Sheleg.
"People are moving on with their lives, but they can't. As long as their father and family are held in Gaza, there is no moving on," said a man translating for Har, who spoke in Hebrew.
- Related story: Upper West Side crowd gathers in solidarity with Israel to mark 30 days since Hamas launched attack
The young mothers joined elected leaders in Woodmere to plead with U.S. officials to help bring the estimated 240 hostages still in Gaza home.
"We came into the United States to show our faces, the face of the family that we are not the same anymore from the 7th of October," said Sheleg.
"Pure evil, and it must be defeated. And we must demand that all of the hostages are returned safely," said Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
Sheleg and Har plan to stay in the U.S. for at least one week. They're committed to ensuring their father and the other hostages are not forgotten.