Iris Haim is a well-known figure in Israel. In December 2023, two months into the war, an IDF unit mistakenly shot and killed her son Yotam, along with two other hostages who had managed to escape Hamas captivity – Alon Shamriz, and Samar Talalka of blessed memory. The heart of the Jewish people broke at the tragedy, yet Iris transcended her personal loss to become a force love, unity and healing, reaching out almost immediately to the IDF soldiers and encouraging the rest of the nation with grace, kindness and a message of hope and resilience. Iris Haim has become a unifying figure both among the families of the hostages and the bereaved.
“Not in the Physical Body”
Yesterday (Monday), Iris revealed in a post that she possesses images obtained by the IDF from Hamas, that document her son Yotam during his captivity—images the family has chosen not to share with the public. Their intention is to preserve the current memory of Yotam as he is now—free and strong, courageously walking through the ruined streets of Gaza in a desperate bid to save himself
“Yotam was just a step away from being here with us, but unfortunately, he will never embrace us again. At least not in the physical body,” wrote Iris. “We are not releasing his pictures from captivity. We have them, and we have decided that we will be the only ones to see the video of him speaking about his hope and strength. He always believed he would return home. He gave others strength while continuing to do push-ups. His thin face and shaved head are just a backdrop to the immense strength that Yotam had, just like so many others who are returning today.”
Iris wished people to remember Yotam at his best- with a full head of hair, laughter in his eyes and commemorate his spirit by taking part in the establishment of a center focused on mental health.
