Hostages and Missing Families Forum

The forum aims to return the abductees from Gaza, to locate those missing from the attack, and to handle medical, legal and other matters related to the abduction and its consequences.

[1][2] Within days of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, the families of at least 341 missing Israelis, who had either been kidnapped to Gaza or whose disposition was unknown, started a WhatsApp group to share information and organize.

Three initiatives, led by former Israeli politician and communications professional Ronen Tzur, Haim Rubinstein, and Dudi Zalamanovitch united as the Hostages and Missing Families Forum by 13 October.

[4][5] The Forum, along with most individual relatives of hostages, have attempted to avoid partisan politics or confrontation with Israel's right-wing coalition government.

[3] The Forum recruited hundreds of volunteers in Israel and the United States, including psychologists, social media and communications professionals, former hostages, and former government officials such as David Meidan, who was involved in negotiating the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange.