Last night was a deeply emotional evening for me as I attended a screening of a documentary film titled A Letter to David.

The film centers on David Cuneo, who was abducted into Gaza on October 7th. David lived in Nir Oz, a kibbutz whose name many of you may recognize. He and his brother, Eitan, previously starred in a movie called Youth, which tells the story of two brothers who kidnap a girl for ransom to help their financially struggling parents. Following the events of October 7th, the director of Youth, Tom Chabal, created a new documentary focusing on David and Eitan. The film highlights David’s time in captivity—he has since been released—and features childhood footage of the brothers alongside the stark, haunting impact of October 7th, which visibly ages and shatters them following their harrowing ordeal.

Watching the film brought several striking realizations to the forefront:

• Proximity to Gaza: The kibbutz, which was devastated in the attack, is located just down the road from Gaza; you can literally see Gaza from the community. This proximity raises a critical observation regarding rhetoric surrounding the conflict: if Israel’s intent had been the destruction of Gaza, the geographical reality meant operations could have been carried out instantly, given how close they are. Seeing Gaza featured so openly right down the road in the film underscores this stark reality.
• The Emotional State of Affected Israelis: The Israelis impacted by these events are not driven by blind anger or a desire to destroy Gaza. Instead, they are deeply tormented. They find themselves repeatedly replaying memories, holding onto better times, and waiting and praying for resolution, rather than focusing their minds on destruction.
• The Delay in Military Response: It is deeply troubling that the attack began at 6:30 in the morning, yet the Israel Defense Forces did not arrive until approximately 1:00 PM. For comparison, we saw during clashes between Palestinians and settlers that security forces deployed with tear gas within 15 minutes. How is it fathomable that Hamas could attack at dawn while troops were absent for hours?

This question of delayed response is mirrored in the documentary through Eitan’s perspective. Standing in his burned-out home, he recounts being trapped in a safe room where the metal door expanded from the heat, preventing him from opening it. As he waited with no help arriving, Hamas set his house on fire. As the home filled with flames and his family began passing out, he faced the agonizing question: Where were the troops?

This echoes questions raised in other contexts, such as the discussions surrounding the security response on January 6th, where documentation details authorized support being held back for critical hours. Similarly, on October 7th, reports indicate that the Israel Air Force was prepared to respond much earlier, but was delayed due to protocols or rules of engagement, while conflicting early statements from leadership added to the confusion.

These circumstances point to hard questions that remain unanswered: Who within Israel facilitated this attack, and who were they working with externally? Why have comprehensive answers not been provided since October 7th?

Furthermore, we see this information landscape distorted elsewhere. On professional platforms like LinkedIn, there is a constant flood of unverified narratives regarding Gaza that are easily refuted by factual news reporting. Similarly, on platforms like X, polarizing claims—such as narratives regarding alleged plots against political figures—often circulate without substantive data to back them up.

My point is not to speculate or invent stories out of frustration, but to advocate for an uncompromising pursuit of the truth, wherever it leads and whoever it implicates. Much of the lingering trauma experienced by the families stems from a profound sense of betrayal—not only from the failures of that day, but from the ongoing lack of clear answers and accountability. That lack of transparency remains unacceptable.