Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call with Ruhama Bohbot, the mother of Gaza hostage Elkana Bohbot, who was seen alive in a recent video released by Hamas, along with another hostage, Yosef Chaim.
Elkana's two brothers also participated in the conversation, which took place on Wednesday morning.
Elkana Bohbot was seemingly forced to say things dictated by Hamas terrorists behind the camera.
During the call with Netanyahu, Ruhama said the prime minister "responded as nicely as he could, and promised me that they're doing everything they can."
Netanyahu didn't talk to Ruhama about "the difficulties" faced in freeing the remaining hostages held in terror captivity in Gaza.
However, Ruhama commented that "no one had acknowledged me; this was the first time" in over a year and a half of "not hearing from anyone."
She credited the Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch for the initiative to coordinate the call between her and Netanyahu.
Ruhama Bohbot comments on her mental health struggles
Ruhama mentioned to Hirsch that she is in poor physical health but that she didn't want to mention that on the radio so that her son would not find out.
"We have nothing left but faith and hope. That's what keeps us going," Ruhama said, adding, "I've reached a point where I have no emotions left...I just suffer and suffer. The anxiety is overwhelming me and has hit me hard. Medication does not help anymore. Nothing helps!"
"That's not my Elkana. I don't recognize my son," she commented on the Hamas-released footage.
Ruhama discussed Elkana's young son, Ra'am, calling him "a very smart child" and said that they did not want him to see the video so that he does not see his father in that poor condition.
Ra'am has been "getting pretty agitated," and they are "noticing changes in him," she added, stating that "he talks about his father and asks when he's coming back, and why he isn't back already," every day.
Ruhama informed 103FM that she explained to Ra'am that the government is giving priority to the elderly and children and that his father is not alone.
"We keep feeding him hope, telling him it's soon, just a little longer," she added, saying that "We try to keep him busy all day...anything to distract him from the situation."
"We do not let him watch TV, of course," she emphasized.
In her final plea, Ruhama stated, "I want my son now. I'm not going to celebrate Passover without him...Passover, the holiday of freedom? That was last year too, and nothing happened!"
"I've started calling this 'second-class hostages,'" she commented.