Hostage father demands deal to end war, says son's captivity is a 'Hell'

Ilan expressed his skepticism about expanding military operations in Gaza, calling it an unwise decision that is "extremely risky for the hostages, who could be killed at any moment."

Ilan Dalal, the father of hostage Guy Gilboa Dalal, has issued a public plea for a deal to bring all hostages home, warning that the war will not end and peace will be impossible without their release.

In a live conversation with Times of Israel journalist Jessica Steinberg, Dalal shared the harrowing story of his son’s 10-month captivity and the family’s ongoing fear.

Guy Gilboa Dalal and his best friend, Evyatar David, were kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7. They were held together for six months in a narrow tunnel, just one meter wide and twelve meters long.

According to Dalal, a glimpse of hope was cruelly shattered in February, when the two were taken to a compound, promised release, and forced to watch their friends go free before being "dragged back into the darkness of the tunnel.”

The last sign of life the family received from Guy was just a week ago, in a video showing him in a van in Gaza City.

The conditions in captivity, as described by released hostages, are horrific. Dalal spoke of days with no food, and water so salty it was barely drinkable. He noted that his son didn’t speak for nearly a month because "talking made him thirsty" and he chose "silence over thirst.”

The family’s fears were reignited by the new video, which showed Guy being used as a human shield in front of IDF forces, prompting Dalal to believe his son is no longer in the tunnel. Evyatar David was not in the video, leaving his family and Dalal uncertain of his fate.

Hostages at risk, Ilan Dalal says

Dalal expressed his skepticism about expanding military operations in Gaza, calling it an unwise decision that is "extremely risky for the hostages, who could be killed at any moment."

He described the emotional "rollercoaster" of dashed hopes, citing instances where a deal seemed imminent but ultimately failed to materialize.

Despite the immense pain, Dalal finds strength in his son. "I am his voice, and he is counting on me and on our family to do whatever we can to get him out of the hell he’s in," Dalal said. He concluded with a powerful message: "If the hostages are not returned, the war will not end — and there will never be peace in this region.”

Ilan Dalal's comments follow similar ones made by Guy Gilboa-Dalal's mother, Meirav, to Army Radio on Sunday.

"I was informed that Guy is being held alone above ground in Gaza - he is being used as a human shield," she said.

Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report