![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6940949.1719365988!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'Very hard to digest': Toronto man speaking out about brother's family's abduction by Hamas
Toronto resident Aharon Brodutch is speaking out about the abduction of his brother’s family by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, while calling on the Canadian government to do more to help those taken captive.
Brodutch found out that his brother's family was missing when he called the family home in Israel to hear about his niece's birthday party.
"I called home to ask how her birthday celebration went and my mom told me there's a war going on,” Brodutch told CTV News Toronto on Wednesday.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
- Complete coverage of the Israel-Hamas war
He immediately woke up his wife and when they called the family back he spoke with his brother. Brodutch said his brother had been out trying to help his neighbourhood when he got injured.
"The last text message he got from (his family) was they're coming in," said Brodutch, referring to Hamas, which the Canadian government has designated as a terrorist organization. "He saw what was happening. Hamas was going house to house killing people and burning the houses down."
They initially believed the family had been killed but Brodutch said they learned after someone had seen his sister-in-law Hagar and the kids being taken out of the house.
They haven’t been heard from since.
"It's very hard to digest," Brodutch said.
FAMILY HAD VISITED TORONTO IN THE SUMMER
Ofri, Brodutch's niece, had visited his family in Toronto during the summer. They'd taken her to the Toronto Islands, Niagara Falls and she'd gone to camp with his daughter.
Brodutch said he and his brother had, in fact, already started planning his niece's next trip to Toronto prior to the events of Oct. 7.
"She had the time of her life," Brodutch said of the camp experience, "she doesn't speak English but she managed to make friends and had fun, incredible fun."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel is determined to bring back the more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7 incursion. But so far only five have been released.
On Wednesday, CTV News Toronto also spoke with Merav Raviv and her son Itay, who have travelled to Canada from Tel Aviv to call on the Canadian government to do more to help hostages.
Merav Raviv’s cousin, Roee Munder, was killed in the Oct. 7 attack, and his home burned to the ground. His sister, Keren Munder, her nine-year-old son Ohad, and 78-year-old parents, Ruth and Avraham Munder, are believed to have been taken hostage.
"(Keren) just came to visit grandma and grandpa on that weekend," said Raviv of her cousin, "She found herself in the morning in the horrible Saturday in the shelter in the safe room."
They have since held the funeral for Roee without his sister, nephew or parents.
"Our uncle, aunt would even drive sick children and people from Gaza to Israeli hospitals for treatment," said Itay Raviv, "Every day that they're there is a crime against humanity itself."
Merav and Itay hope by coming to Canada and sharing the family's story they will be able to pressure the government to do more to bring the hostages home.
"We believe Canada is a beacon of flight, of human rights and this is a human rights issue," said Itay.
Brodutch hopes the Canadian government steps up to help the hostages too.
"The reason I became a Canadian is because Canada has values that I appreciate and human rights is one of those values," he told CTV News Toronto. “This is a human rights issue. Children being held hostage. This is not something that's controversial. There is a war going on but this is not about taking sides in this war."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6940954.1719356980!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Smith tells Trudeau Alberta will opt out of federal dental plan
Alberta is opting out of the federal dental plan, the premier told the Canadian government late Tuesday afternoon.
One of Canada's most popular vehicles recalled over transmission issue; 95,000 impacted
One of the country's most popular vehicles is being recalled in Canada due to a transmission issue that may impact tens of thousands of drivers.
WikiLeaks' Assange pleads guilty in deal with U.S. that secures his freedom, ends legal fight
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has pleaded guilty to obtaining and publishing U.S. military secrets in a deal with Justice Department prosecutors that secures his liberty and concludes a drawn-out legal saga that raised divisive questions about press freedom and national security.
'We need to regroup,' says Liberal minister and Ontario campaign co-chair in light of byelection loss
A member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet and the party's Ontario co-chair for the next campaign says the Liberals 'need to regroup' after a shocking overnight byelection loss to Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives.
Pre-med students can't take MCAT in Quebec because of Bill 96
Areeba Ahmed says she's always dreamed of becoming a surgeon but her road to the operating room has become a complicated one ever since Quebec's French language law came into effect.
Protesters try to topple Queen Victoria statue near pro-Palestinian encampment in Montreal
Montreal police were called to intervene after protesters attempted to tear down the Queen Victoria statue at Victoria Square.
Cup Noodles serves up notoriously poisonous pufferfish
Pufferfish is regarded as a luxury in Japan and a meal featuring the potentially poisonous delicacy can easily cost up to 20,000 yen (US$125) at high-end restaurants.
'Truly a great British Columbian': Former B.C. premier John Horgan has cancer again
Former B.C. premier and current Canadian ambassador to Germany John Horgan has been diagnosed with cancer for a third time.
New experience in Halifax gets people up close and personal to the ocean's most feared predator
Atlantic Shark Expeditions launched a new shark cage experience which gives brave attendees a chance to get up close and personal with the oceans most feared predator.