Israeli peace activist Ada Sagi no longer believes in the possibility of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. For decades, Sagi lived in a kibbutz near the Gaza Strip, just a few kilometers from the Palestinian city of Khan Yunis. She worked as an Arabic teacher to enable Israelis to communicate with Palestinians without language barriers – a contribution to peace and reconciliation, in her view.
On October 7, 2023, however, Sagi was kidnapped in Kibbutz Nir Oz by Hamas terrorists, who killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel that day and abducted several hundred more to the Gaza Strip. This experience, Sagi says today, changed her view of the conflict.
She was released after 53 days of being held hostage. Now, six months later, she gave an interview to the British BBC in which she spoke about being held hostage and its effects. “I don’t believe in peace,” Sagi said. “Sorry, but I don’t. I understand that Hamas doesn’t want that.” She also believes that the world hates Jews today.
After her kidnapping, she was initially held by a family with children, but was soon taken to Khan Yunis. There, students were paid to guard her. “I heard them say: 70 shekels for a day.” That’s about 18 euros. “That’s a lot of money in Gaza, because there’s no work there,” says Sagi. “And if you do have work, although not for Hamas, you don’t get more than 20 shekels (about 5 euros) a day.”
He continued: “People say they are not involved (in holding the hostages). They are involved. And they get money for each of us (hostages).”
Sagi also called on the Israeli government to make a hostage deal. “Israel must make a deal – bring home all the hostages who are still alive and also those who are dead.”