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Hostage families organization says Gallant firing provides ‘new opportunities’ to release Gaza captives

We trust Minister Katz to increase and further intensify the military pressure on what is left of Hamas in Gaza.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The Tikva Forum, a hostage family organization that rejects negotiations with terrorists, finds new hope for the release of family members following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s firing of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The dismissal of Minister Galant and the appointment of Israel Katz opens up an opportunity for us to make a strategic change regarding the return of the hostages,” the Tikva Forum stated.

The Tikva Forum said it would support proposals to offer money in exchange for the hostages and to continue to defeat Hamas to put pressure on the terror group to release captives.

“We trust Minister Katz to increase and further intensify the military pressure on what is left of Hamas in Gaza. All means are kosher for the return of our children,” the organization said.

The Hostages Families Forum also called Gallant’s dismissal a “continuation” of efforts within the government to “torpedo a hostage deal.”

Netanyahu announced the firing of Gallant in a video statement, saying, “Unfortunately, the trust between me and the minister of defense has been broken over the past months. There were significant gaps regarding the management of the [military] campaign, and these gaps were accompanied by statements and actions that contradicted the government’s decisions.”

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“I made repeated efforts to bridge these gaps, but they only widened. These issues even reached the public in an unacceptable manner, and, worse, became known to our enemies, who took pleasure and found advantage in it,” added Netanyahu.

Israel is offering Gaza terrorists who are holding hostages captive large cash rewards and the promise of free passage out of the Gaza Strip for themselves and their families if they hand over the hostages to Israel, Israel’s Channel 12 reported Monday night.

According to the report, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed security officials to offer a massive reward, totaling “several million dollars,” some outlets reporting $5 million, for each captive who is freed, along with guarantees of safe passage out of the Gaza Strip for any captors who agree to the deal.