65 Days and Counting

Rachel Goldberg’s 23-year-old son, Hersh, was abducted by Hamas at a music festival in southern Israel on Oct. 7. In this interview with the Opinion editor Sarah Wildman, Ms. Goldberg reflects on the past two months of the crisis, the recent pause in fighting and the brief moments of “delicious, thankful respite” she felt as hostages returned home — even as her son remains captive. And she argues the hostage plight should be treated as a humanitarian crisis, not a political one.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available midday on the Times website.)

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This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Kaari Pitkin, Annie-Rose Strasser and Alison Bruzek. Mixing by Isaac Jones. Original music by Isaac Jones and Pat McCusker. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta.