Hostage families demand meeting with negotiation team after delayed delegation reports

Hostage families demand urgent meeting with Israel’s negotiators, citing delays and mistrust over the handling of the hostage deal.

Hostage and Missing Families Forum sets up massive display in front of Capitol Hill demanding Netanyahu to sign deal  (photo credit: Hostages and Missing Families Forum)
Hostage and Missing Families Forum sets up massive display in front of Capitol Hill demanding Netanyahu to sign deal
(photo credit: Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

Family members of hostages held captive by Hamas demanded an urgent meeting with the Israeli team negotiating a hostage deal following Israeli media reports that the team would not leave for negotiations Thursday as expected.

"There has been a breach of trust that demands clarification," said the forum.

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures during a press conference amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 13, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/Nir Elias/Pool)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures during a press conference amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 13, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/Nir Elias/Pool)

"For two weeks the prime minister has avoided addressing negotiators' questions about the implementation of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's Deal.

The negotiation team [repeatedly] promised that a delegation would leave to advance negotiations, but now it turns out that the reports to the hostage families did not reflect reality."

'Direct and personal responsbility'

"Dragging feet is purposely harming the chance of bringing our loved ones home, and is a torpedoing of negotiation," they added.

"The head of security institutions has a direct and personal responsibility to bring the hostages home. It is their obligation to move Israel's highest moral imperative forward and to give a faithful report to the Israeli public about who is torpedoing the deal and why.