Brother of Israeli hostage taken at Nova music festival still hoping for safe return
Trapped in the ruins of Gaza, there are at least 20 Israeli hostages who are believed to be still alive, held captive by Hamas.
One of them is Gal Dalal's younger brother, the now 24-year-old Guy Gilboa-Dalal.
"Every bomb, every military operation, everything that's going on, they're putting my brother in risk," Gal told CBS News.
And the bombing intensified this week. Security camera footage showed the moment an Israeli strike hit outside a hospital in Gaza — killing dozens. The attack came just a day after the release of American hostage Edan Alexander.
"We know his family, we love them. And they deserve nothing more than to be reunited with their son. It's this complicated thing of joy and also sadness," Gal said.
Gal told CBS News his family was "joyful" and "thankful" Alexander got to go home. "But we also, it was such a pain to see another hostage returning and it's not your brother," he said.
Gal and Guy were at the Nova music festival when Hamas launched its Oct. 7 terror attack. Gal escaped, but his brother, who he calls his best friend, did not.
"The hardest thing for me is that I really went there to watch over him, watch over my baby brother, and I returned without him," Gal said.
"I'm not just saying that we are best friends. We lived together for so many years, and we do everything together," he said. "We have a really special bond and right now our family is torn apart. We are such a complete family, and such a happy family. And now my parents are broken, they are devastated."
Despite suffering his own trauma from the Oct. 7 attack, Gal told us he cannot heal until his brother is free.
"My brother is in front of me every time, all day. I go to sleep with him. I wake up with him," he said. "I cannot feel anything else but guilt on the most simple things."
In February, Hamas put out a propaganda video that showed Guy.
"He was brought out by Hamas to watch other hostages going home," Gal said. "I was helpless entirely because I couldn't do anything to help him so I just, I was there again, watching my baby brother in this inhumane condition looking so much worse."
While the video was proof of life, Gal knew from freed hostages how bad things were for his brother.
"They were at the same tunnel with two or 10 hostages, a very small tunnel, almost unable to move. Sleeping, eating, breathing next to where they had to dig their own toilet," he said.
Like so many families of hostages, he is pinning his hopes on President Trump to broker a deal to free them.
Mr. Trump and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff have been advocating for a diplomatic solution to bring the remaining hostages home. Asked if he believed Israeli officials were receptive, Gal said he believed, "they need the United States' help."
"They need United States' support and they need ... President Trump to, to do what he can," said Gal. "I just hope that he's really focused on doing it as soon as possible, because my brother don't have time."
His hopes have been dashed so many times, but giving up on his brother's freedom is simply not an option.
"Although we break sometimes, because we are human, we also keep each other strong with the hope that Guy will return to us," he said.
"I hope [our love] is what saves him right now," he added. "How much he knows that everyone loves him and waits for him."
