The Genesis Award was given to 5 organizations that support families of hostages

This year, five organizations that support the families of people taken hostage by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and held in the Gaza Strip are the winners of the 2024 Genesis Award presented by Israel.

This award, worth $1 million, is generally awarded to an individual for their academic achievement, contribution to humanity and commitment to Jewish values. But this year, the prize organizers chose to focus on the remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip.

“The goal of this year’s prize is not to influence politics, but to raise international awareness of the plight of hostages and to provide humanitarian aid aimed at healing, rehabilitation and therapy,” Stan said of the award.

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Among the winners is the Forum for Hostages and Disappeared Families, a group that was founded the day after October 7 to advocate for the return of abducted people.

At the end of November, almost a hundred hostages were released after spending more than 50 days in captivity. To date, more than 130 hostages remain in the Gaza Strip; negotiations for their release are currently taking place in Qatar. According to Israel, almost a quarter of them are already dead.

The award will also be presented to the Jewish Organization for Victims of Terrorism Fund, Lev Echad, Natal, the Israel Center for Trauma and Resilience and OneFamily.

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