Eitan Gonen sits in his daughter Romi’s bedroom. Outside, the world waits for Israel’s temporary truce with Hamas to take effect and for the release of some of the hostages held in Gaza. He prays his daughter will be among those coming home.
Gonen raises his head and holds back tears. On a shelf behind him are framed pictures, nail polish and a collection of cosmetics arranged as they had been when Romi, 23, left their home in northern Israel before a rave festival in the south where Hamas fighters attacked on Oct 7.
“It was very, very hard for me to enter Romi’s room for 47 days. And now we are in this room and emotions are very, very high,” he says. “But we are very optimistic that Romi will come back home. We are even convinced that Romi will be back home, alive.”
Read more from Reuters here.
