Two years ago, everything changed for me and countless others in Israel.
It was October 7, 2023, when my husband Omri, our daughters Roni and Alma, and I were at Kibbutz Nahal Oz. That’s when Hamas terrorists launched their attack on our community and others in the south.
They took us captive in our own home and broadcasted the chaos on Facebook.
We experienced hours of terror—gunfire, explosions, the screams of neighbors—until soldiers finally arrived to rescue us.
We got out alive, but Omri was taken away.
For the past two years, my daughters have gone to bed without hearing their father’s voice saying goodnight.
Every morning, I woke up not knowing where he was or what pain he was enduring as a hostage.
The sounds of that day linger—the breaking doors, the bullets—but what haunts me more is the silence that came after.
Although we’ve had support from many around the world, it feels like life has moved on too quickly.
This week, I made a choice not to celebrate our anniversary at home.
Instead, I’m in Washington, DC, because I believe that the pain we’ve been living with needs to propel us into action.
Each hostage has a story, a face, and families who are still waiting.
Policymakers need to hear directly from us, the survivors of October 7th, who live this nightmare daily.
Recently, I’ve seen something I didn’t think was possible: momentum.
There seems to be a potential agreement that could ultimately end this ongoing fear.
It could bring Omri and the remaining 48 hostages home.
It might even help end the conflict, disarm Hamas, and provide both Israelis and Gazans a chance to heal and rebuild.
I understand these negotiations are challenging and precarious, but leadership requires the courage to attempt the difficult.
President Trump has shown that courage.
His administration opened the door to families like mine and treated our suffering as a moral imperative, not just a story.
He insisted that all hostages must be released before any discussions about long-term arrangements, and for that, I’m deeply grateful.
If this deal succeeds, it won’t just bring my husband home; it will offer hope throughout the region.
It would demonstrate that even the darkest human actions can be met with moral clarity and resolve.
And if President Trump pulls this off, he would accomplish what many have failed to do: create peace from the ashes of conflict—something truly worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize.
However, it’s vital not to let hope blind us to reality.
Hamas has broken agreements in the past and often uses ceasefires to regroup and mislead.
Trump’s plan specifies that all hostages must be released within 72 hours of signing the agreement.
Time is of the essence; we must prioritize this above all else.
The conditions Omri is enduring are unimaginable, filled with suffering, hunger, and fear. Every passing hour puts more lives in jeopardy.
This week, as we walk through the halls of power in Washington, the voices of the remaining 48 hostage families are waiting for their miracle.
We’re not here as politicians but as mothers, fathers, siblings—people who believe that the true test of our humanity is our willingness to fight for each other’s freedom.
I was honored to meet the President during my time here, sharing my experience as a wife and mother enduring this hell while still trying to hold onto hope.
I genuinely hope that by the time I return to Israel, I will be on my way to embrace Omri again with Roni and Alma.
Two years have been too long already. It’s time for everyone to come home.
Lishay Miran-Lavi is Omri Miran’s wife and was taken hostage in Gaza on October 7th.
