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Families of Israeli hostages frustrated with Netanyahu government, urge talks [1]

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Date: 2023-11

November 5, 2023

As Israel ramps up its ground operation in Gaza, frustration with the Israeli government is mounting among families of those kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7 who are currently being held hostage in the enclave.

Families of the hostages are expressing increasing fear and anger that Israel's intense aerial bombardment on Gaza could harm their loved ones.

Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said this week that the number of confirmed hostages has risen to at least 241.

Much of the mounting frustration comes amid reports that the Israeli government's efforts to negotiate via regional powers have been lacking. Ronen Tzur, spokesperson for the Headquarters of the Families of the Hostages and Missing Persons, told Al-Monitor that there is a fear the government is falling short. "The families expect the government of Israel to act powerfully and with determination to accelerate negotiations," he said, adding, "There is a feeling that a great effort to generate real negotiations has not been put in motion yet."

Tzur warned that if nothing changes in the coming days, the families will step up their campaign, which is already proving to have an impact on public opinion. On Friday, another spokesperson for the group said that families of hostages will camp outside military headquarters in Tel Aviv all day and night until the hostages are returned home.

A survey published by Israel's Maariv newspaper on Oct. 19 found that 65% of Israelis supported an "immediate" ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. By Oct. 27, 49% said that a ground operation could "wait" for first securing the release of hostages.

The families have repeatedly demanded to speak to senior officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who they finally met with on Oct. 28. Relatives of hostages have also staged mass demonstrations across the country, including outside the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv and the prime minister’s private residence in Caesarea. Rallies also took place in Beersheba, Jerusalem and elsewhere.

The families worry that the dual goals of the Gaza operation as stated by the Israeli government — eliminating Hamas and rescuing all the hostages — are incompatible with one another. Of particular concern is how the IDF can eradicate Hamas' vast network of tunnels when it's believed that many hostages are being kept within that underground infrastructure.

The families also warn that Israel's massive aerial bombardment could harm their loved ones stashed across the Gaza Strip. On Wednesday, Hamas claimed that seven hostages taken on Oct. 7 were killed in Israeli airstrikes the day before on the Jabalia refugee camp, including three foreign passport holders. This claim was not confirmed by the IDF or Gaza-based nongovernmental groups and could not be verified.

Hopes were raised last week when a female Israeli soldier, Ori Megidish, was rescued from Hamas captivity in an Israeli military operation. Still, addressing the operation on Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi noted that the operation "was a drop in the ocean" and said, "We have a deep commitment to do everything we can to bring home the abductees — all of them."

Families of hostages have also criticized the government for its opacity surrounding hostage negotiations. While Israel's national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, recently thanked Qatar for "becoming an essential party and stakeholder in the facilitation of humanitarian solutions," in reference to the negotiations, the families say they have been kept in the dark by the Israeli leadership. The government has not provided information on the status of these negotiations and whether there are any serious proposals on the table, the families say.

Hamas recently said that Israel would have to release all Palestinian prisoners from its jails — roughly 6,000 people — to secure the hostages' freedom, but spokespeople for the Israeli army say that the group cannot be trusted.

"Bringing back all the hostages and missing people is of utmost importance, even at the expense of eliminating the leaders of Hamas," former national security adviser Eyal Hulata told Al-Monitor on Thursday. He added, "It is a humanitarian mission, and all countries in the region should have engaged with this campaign."

However, he said, Hamas must be aware that Israel won't rest until the hostages are returned, adding that Hamas "presents a threat not only to Israel, but to the other countries in the region as well."

There's also growing concern that Israel's deepening operation in Gaza and the rising Palestinian death toll is alienating the Qataris, who are currently crucial interlocutors. After a recent Israeli strike on the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said that Israel's expanded military operation would "undermine mediation and de-escalation efforts."

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[1] Url: https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/11/families-israeli-hostages-frustrated-netanyahu-government-urge-talks

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