Gal Dalal has been tirelessly campaigning for the release of his brother, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, for the past year and a half, ever since Hamas kidnapped him from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023.
Dalal emphasizes the importance of remembering Guy as an individual beyond his image on posters and stresses the urgency of securing his release from Gaza.
“My brother is one of the kindest people I know. He’s also incredibly funny,” Dalal told Digital. “He’s my best friend. We share interests, hobbies, and do everything together.”
On October 7, 2023, Guy was enjoying his first spiritual festival with friends when Gal, who had more experience with such events, joined them around 6:15 a.m., just under fifteen minutes before the attack commenced.
Dalal recounted to Digital that upon his arrival, Guy eagerly embraced him and took a selfie for their mother.
“I only went to the Nova music festival to look after him. The hardest part for me is returning without him,” Dalal told Digital.
Neither brother could have anticipated the events that would unfold. As sirens sounded, Dalal informed Digital that he suggested the group go to his apartment, a proposal they accepted. While Dalal traveled in his own car, Guy opted to ride with his friends. Dalal estimates that Guy and his friends left the festival grounds approximately 10 minutes later. Despite the blaring rocket sirens, they weren’t initially alarmed.
“We are accustomed to these alarms and missile attacks. No one imagined a terror attack of this magnitude,” Dalal told Digital.
Safety protocols for rocket attacks are widely known in Israel, dictating the amount of time to seek shelter based on proximity to Gaza. Many at the Nova festival sought refuge in roadside shelters, which tragically became death traps. used these shelters to perpetrate mass killings, throwing grenades into groups of people, resulting in numerous fatalities.
Dalal shared with Digital that he encountered traffic outside the festival for roughly 20 minutes before hearing gunfire. He then spent hours fleeing for his life, unable to return for Guy. However, they managed to speak on the phone one last time before Guy was taken hostage.
The Dalal family learned on October 7 that Guy and his close friend, Evyatar David, had been taken hostage. Hamas released a video of the two men in captivity in Gaza. Guy and Evyatar attended the festival with two other friends, both of whom were killed.
Dalal and his family have dedicated the past 17 months to advocating for the release of all hostages, including Guy.
“We are exhausted and at our limit. This fight is draining us, but our only concern is seeing my brother again, knowing he’s safe, protecting him, hugging him, and helping him heal. We miss him terribly,” Dalal told Digital.
The Dalal family recently received a sign of life, but it was a distressing one. Guy and Evyatar were coerced into participating in a Hamas propaganda video, in which they were forced to watch other hostages being released before having the van door slammed in their faces.
Dalal told Digital that the video evoked memories of October 7 and highlighted the “psychological torture” inflicted upon the hostages’ families. He believes his brother and Evyatar are being “starved to death.”
“I fear the negotiation process could take longer, and Guy doesn’t have that time,” Dalal told Digital. He is hopeful that President and the U.S. can facilitate the hostages’ return home.
In his quest for his brother’s freedom, Gal traveled to the U.S. and engaged with members of both the Biden and Trump administrations. He noted that meeting with Trump officials felt “different” because they seemed to understand the urgency of the situation.
“I believe that President Trump is the only one who can truly exert the necessary pressure to bring these hostages back and ensure their safe return to their families. The United States, as a nation, possesses the power and support needed to make sure the hostages will return home,” Dalal told Digital.
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