Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other members of the War Cabinet met today (Tuesday) with family members of the hostages being held in Gaza and with hostages who were freed during the ceasefire last week.
Several of the family members left the meeting furious at Netanyahu, who they said avoided answering their questions and instead merely read from a prepared statement.
- One of the freed hostages stated that Netanyahu told them that “there is no possibility right now to bring everyone home. Can anyone really imagine that if that was an option, anyone would refuse it?”
The freed hostage told the War Cabinet about how the hostages woke up in a panic during IDF airstrikes in the middle of the night while their captors slept peacefully through the explosions.
Raz Ben Ami, who was released from Hamas captivity, said after the meeting that she was “worried and angry, hoping that everyone will return home.” Ben Ami’s husband Ohad is still being held captive by Hamas in Gaza.
- Yesterday, the Hostages Families Forum on Monday demanded that Israel’s War Cabinet hold a meeting to update them regarding the efforts to release the 136 hostages who remain in Hamas captivity.
The Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum headquarters demanded that Israel return to the negotiating table to discuss the release of the hostages:
- “The War Cabinet promised to meet with us two-and-a-half weeks ago – and it still has not happened. If the Cabinet does not want to speak with us, we can go to international sources, maybe [US President Joe] Biden,” the families said.
Source: Arutz Sheva