{"id":24205,"date":"2025-05-25T09:12:13","date_gmt":"2025-05-25T06:12:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/?p=24205"},"modified":"2025-05-25T09:58:34","modified_gmt":"2025-05-25T06:58:34","slug":"strength-in-the-darkness-i-saw-you-there-and-it-gave-me-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/strength-in-the-darkness-i-saw-you-there-and-it-gave-me-hope\/","title":{"rendered":"Strength amidst Darkness: “:I Saw You There, and It Gave Me Hope”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Naama Levy, an IDF surveillance soldier who was freed from Hamas captivity, addressed the central rally at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv. Opening her speech with gratitude to the crowd that had filled the square even when she couldn\u2019t hear them, Levy recounted moments of extreme survival, paralyzing fear\u2014and the miracles that kept her alive.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Naama Levy at Hostage Square | Photo: Hostage Families Forum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“I Saw You in the Square”<\/strong>
“I saw you in the square, wrapped in flags, holding our photos. It made me believe I hadn\u2019t been forgotten. That people were still fighting for me,” she said. “That strength kept me going. You gave me hope when I had almost nothing left.”<\/p>\n

Rainwater and Airstrikes<\/strong>
Levy recalled how, during her early days in captivity, she was held alone under constant fear, often without food or water. She described one moment when rain began to fall and her captors placed a pot outside: “I drank the rainwater. That\u2019s what kept me alive.” She also described the terror of bombardments: “They come suddenly. First the whistle\u2014then the explosion. One time, the wall I was leaning against was the only one that didn\u2019t collapse. That\u2019s what saved me.”<\/p>\n

“They\u2019re Still There\u2014With Nowhere to Run”<\/strong>
Levy addressed the public directly, emphasizing that the same terror continues for those still held hostage in Gaza. “Even now, there are people hearing those same whistles. They\u2019re trembling with fear, clinging to the walls, with no way to escape\u2014just prayers and helplessness.” She urged the crowd to keep raising their voices: “You have no idea how much it helps. How much it matters. I\u2019m here because of the public\u2019s fight\u2014because of you.”<\/p>\n

“There\u2019s No Victory Without Bringing Them All Home”<\/strong>
Levy closed her remarks with an emotional appeal to the families of hostages and victims, making clear that her own freedom is far from complete. “I\u2019m standing here free, but my heart isn\u2019t whole. Until the last hostage returns, none of us truly comes back. Because there is no victory without bringing them all home.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Seven months after her release from captivity, Naama Levy took the stage at Hostage Square. She spoke about the moments her life was spared and urged the crowd never to forget those still held in Gaza\u2014not even for a moment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":24206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2276,8],"tags":[4350,1476,1477,1958,1705,2730],"class_list":["post-24205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","category-politics","tag-freed-hostages","tag-gaza","tag-hamas","tag-hostage-square","tag-israeli-hostages","tag-naama-levy"],"yoast_head":"\nStrength amidst Darkness: ":I Saw You There, and It Gave Me Hope" - REGA news<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Strength amidst Darkness: ":I Saw You There, and It Gave Me Hope"\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Seven months after her release from captivity, Naama Levy took the stage at Hostage Square. 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