Forgotten Soldiers: How Israel Ignored Two Captive Soldiers for a Decade Due to Racial Discrimination
Gaza (Quds News Network)- Hamas released two Israeli soldiers today after ten years in captivity, without Israel ever making a serious effort to secure their release. Israel ignored the two soldiers due to racial discrimination.
For ten years, Avera Mengistu and Hisham Al-Sayed remained in captivity in Gaza. Unlike other Israeli soldiers, their government did little to bring them home.
Mengistu, an Ethiopian Jew, crossed into Gaza in 2014. Al-Sayed, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, was captured in 2015. Unlike Gilad Shalit, who was freed in a high-profile prisoner swap, these two soldiers were ignored. Israel never prioritized them in negotiations.
Hamas finally released Mengistu and another soldier, Tal Shoham, in the latest prisoner exchange. But for years, Mengistu’s name barely surfaced in Israeli media. His family accused the government of racial discrimination.
Al-Sayed’s case was even worse. His family didn’t know what happened to him at first. Only years later did security footage confirm he crossed into Gaza. In 2022, Hamas released a video showing his deteriorating health. Even then, Israel did nothing.
