In a heart-wrenching plea, an Israeli mother named Maayan Zin has offered to become a hostage to Hamas in the hope of reuniting with her young daughters, who were abducted by the terrorist organization a month ago. Zin's emotional video appeal, uploaded on X, called upon President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take action and bring back her girls.

She implored, "Put me in Gaza. I will be hostage 243. If only I could hold them and tell them everything would be alright. Hug them and tell them that Mom is here – no matter what, Mom is here." Zin's daughters, Dafna Elyakim (15) and Ella Elyakim (8), were kidnapped by Hamas from their father's residence in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. The horrifying attack on their family home was even streamed on Facebook Live, capturing the moment when Zin's ex-husband, Noam Elyakim, was shot in the leg and Dafna cried beside him.

Tragically, the bodies of Noam, his girlfriend Dikla Arava, and Arava's son, Tomer, were later discovered near the Gaza border. Zin then saw a second video of her daughters, sitting on a mattress in pajamas she did not recognize. In her heartfelt video, which garnered over 1 million views within hours, Zin expressed the agony of the past 30 days since her daughters were taken away, having witnessed the brutal murder of their father.

Desperate for their safe return, she said, "Thirty days have passed since they were kidnapped, since they were taken from me... I don’t seek views; I only want my girls to return home NOW." Zin shared her disbelief when she initially confirmed her daughters' abduction upon seeing a video of Dafna on a mattress in Gaza. She explained, "I thought at first it was a kind of Photoshop the Arabs did. I didn’t think such a thing could be possible." Zin emphasized that her daughters are her entire world, saying, "This is my existence to be a mother. It’s all I wanted. I didn’t want to be rich, I didn’t want to be married, I didn’t want anything. I wanted to be a mother."

Zin's plight represents the anguish faced by many families in Israel and beyond, one month after Hamas terrorists breached the Gaza border fence, unleashing violence on southern Israel. Kibbutz Nir Oz, where Dafna and Ella were visiting their father, was one of the hardest-hit communities, losing a quarter of its population within hours. The New York Times reported that among the casualties were the Siman Tov family, buried together in a single grave. The community is still reeling from the merciless acts of violence inflicted upon them. As the world looks on, hoping for a swift and peaceful resolution, Zin's desperate plea resonates with the pain and turmoil experienced by numerous families affected by this tragedy. The international community continues to rally behind the search and rescue efforts, holding onto the belief that love and compassion will triumph over darkness and despair.