Relatives of Israeli captives held in Gaza have criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address on Saturday evening, stating that he did not have a plan for the release of their loved ones.
“Many words and slogans will not be able to hide the simple fact – Netanyahu has no plan,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.
“We heard this evening without end what can’t be done, we would appreciate hearing what can be done. It is no wonder the prime minister didn’t make time for questions, otherwise, he would have to answer the basic question: What is the state of Israel doing exactly to return all 59 hostages immediately?”
The group added that it was “absurd” of the prime minister to refer to the war as “the war of rebirth.”
“What kind of rebirth can happen without the return of the hostages kidnapped under his watch, and under his management of the war, are still held captive for over a year and a half,” the forum said.
It added that the only solution was an end to the war in exchange for the release of all the captives.
In his televised address, Netanyahu rejected Hamas’ proposal for a permanent end to the war, and said that he had instructed the military to “step up the pressure” on the Palestinian group.
