Russian-born Andrei Kozlov, who was taken hostage by Hamas militants and freed in early June by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), paid tribute at a rally of thousands in Tel Aviv to the memory of six Israeli hostages found murdered in late August.
The Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel broadcast the event on September 7.
On the other hand, Kozlov stressed Alexandra Lobanovawho also had Russian and Israeli citizenship. The men were held captive together for several months.
“[Александр] “He told me his life story. We shared our fears and hopes. My wishes came true. His fears came to life. They picked him up and told us that he would be coming home at the end of November. He should have been here with us. We cannot allow this disaster to continue. We must demand that our leaders do everything necessary and right,” Kozlov said from the podium.
According to the Russian, his time in captivity in the Gaza Strip did not pass without a trace, and from October 7, 2023, a hopeless period began in his life, but he reiterated that he was very lucky to be alive and surrounded by the warmth of his loved ones.
“It’s been 11 months since they had [заложников] Life was stolen. We must give them back their life, the love that awaits them here, the love that you all surround me with,” he added.
Kozlov called on the demonstrators to continue to demand the Israeli authorities to immediately return the hostages.
“Unfortunately, Alex will not have the opportunity to embrace his family like I can. But you can still give this opportunity to many others – to feel this joy, to return home and embrace their families. We must demand that our leaders accept this opportunity. Even if it is difficult, we must demand it. No one forgets the hostages. No one ignores them. No one will let them die. They are running out of time. We see this. We feel it. “Bring them home,” Kozlov demanded.
Earlier, on August 31, IDF troops discovered the bodies of six Hamas hostages in an underground tunnel in Gaza. A list of the dead was published the following day, including Russian Alexander Lobanov. According to media reports, the hostages were shot shortly before they were discovered.
