The pain and vulnerability of a mother whose 17-year-old daughter is being held captive in Gaza by Hamas is palpable in her public plea for help. Elkean Abu Jahlaan had been trying to get her daughter, Aya Abu Jahlaan, back home since April 17 2021, when Hamas forces seized Aya as they took control of the Gaza Strip.
For Elkean, time is running out. She released a video on social media recounting how Aya was bloodied and battered when she was taken away. Images of her going in and out of a clinic in the Gaza Strip have since surfaced, her face bruised and swollen from her time in captivity.
Aya is not the only one facing a similar fate. Elkean has reported that many Gazan women are being targeted by Hamas, and that many more are being held without evidence of any wrongdoing. In her plea for assistance, Elkean appealed to both the international community and human rights organisations to pressure the Hamas government into releasing Aya and the others being held.
“I know this government will not listen to me, so I’m asking the free and enlightened world to act immediately,” Elkean said. “Help bring Aya home. She’s innocent and deserves to be free.”
Every day that passes without action is a horror for Elkean. In her video, she broke down in tears as she begged the world for help. “If only you knew how much pain I’m in,” she said. “The wait is killing me.”
For Aya, too, time is running out. The longer she is held captive in Gaza, the more her future hangs in the balance. Our thoughts and prayers are with Elkean and Aya and all those facing a similar situation in Gaza.
We urge the international community to listen to Elkean’s plea and take swift action to put an end to Aya’s suffering and the suffering of countless others who have had their lives upended by the actions of Hamas.