‘My brother is still in hell’: Hostage families divided on renewed military action in Gaza

The Tikva Forum of Hostages’ Families greeted the news of renewed strikes in Gaza and said they approved of the government’s action.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Many hostage families and released captives reacted with dismay over Israel’s renewed military action in Gaza on Tuesday after the collapse of the hostage-release negotiations.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum expressed their belief that a return to fighting would endanger the captives and characterized the breaking of the ceasefire as “the government’s decision to sacrifice the 59 captives left in Gaza.”

The Forum added, “Military pressure will lead to the killing of living hostages and the disappearance of the fallen.”

Released hostage Yair Horn expressed fear that his brother Eitan, still held in Gaza, would be endangered by Israeli strikes.

“My little brother Eitan was left behind in hell, and I feel as if one-third of myself was left behind. I feel that all the videos released recently, which you have also seen – of me and Eitan, of Matan Angrest, of Guy Gilboa Dalal and Evyatar David – all these videos that for us were signs of life, I hope they will not become our final farewell videos from them due to the return to fighting,” he pleaded.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the importance of returning the hostages, but given the breakdown in talks during the pause in fighting, he declared that “negotiations will take place under fire.”

“We resumed fighting with full force following the advice of security officials,” Netanyahu said.

“This is only the beginning. We will persist until we achieve the objectives of this war and ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel,” he added. “From this point forward, negotiations will only occur under fire.”

Netanyahu added that military action was necessary because weeks had passed with no additional hostages freed, given the impasse in the talks and Hamas’s refusal to agree to recent proposals.

The Tikva Forum of Hostages’ Families greeted the news of renewed strikes in Gaza and said they approved of the government’s action.

“The past weeks have proven what we have been saying all along – Hamas will never return all the hostages willingly,” the Forum declared in a statement titled “All or Hell.”

“Only massive military pressure, a complete blockade including cutting off electricity and water, and occupation of territories that will lead to Hamas’s collapse, will cause them to beg for a ceasefire and a deal that will return ALL the hostages together, in one stage.”

The group argued that, should strikes continue “with intensity and without interruption,” all hostages would return home “in one bus.”