in Israel, relatives of the missing express their anger against the government

They had snatched this interview in the afternoon, after having threatened to launch demonstrations throughout the country: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received on Saturday October 28, and for the first time, representatives of the families of the 230 hostages at the hands of Hamas for three weeks. Because since Friday, Israel has massively bombed Gaza, plunging into a total blackout, despite the presence of hostages in the Palestinian enclave.

Relatives of the hostages are therefore putting pressure on the government. Around 1,500 people gathered in a fairly electric atmosphere. They invaded the boulevard in front of the Ministry of Defense, stopping traffic for 30 minutes. But they came away from this interview without any real answer. “We demanded that the military operation take into account the fate of the hostages and the missing. It is the responsibility of the government”says Merav, Romi’s mother, kidnapped at the rave party by Hamas attackers.

“We asked that nothing be done that could threaten them.”

Merav, mother of Romi, hostage of Hamas

at franceinfo

A man calls out to him: “But what does that bring us in the end? He didn’t say anything to Netanyahu”, he gets annoyed. The crowd rustles, divided between annoyance, disappointment and anger. A little later, a man speaks. Omer’s father was also part of the delegation. He tries to overcome the first divisions of these grieving families: “All hostages must return home, regardless of ongoing or future negotiations. All”he insists.

“We don’t care what they give in exchange”

“We don’t care what they give in return. The Prime Minister listened to us, and said he would do everything for that”, continues Omer’s father, who ends his speech under whistles at the mention of the Prime Minister. Benjamin Netanyahu is jeered by the crowd with cries of “shame, shame”. A woman screams: “Take Netanyahu! Give us back the hostages!”

The Israeli Prime Minister, who had so much difficulty forming a government, was already strongly criticized for his management of this war. It is now also openly for that of the hostages. For his part, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinouar, said he was ready to conclude “immediately” an exchange of hostages that the Palestinian Islamist movement is holding in the Gaza Strip for “all prisoners” Palestinians incarcerated by Israel.