A weekly rally in support of the hostages' families took place at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening in light of reports that Hamas has sent a delegation to Cairo, Israeli media reported.
The theme of the rally was “You Could Have Saved Them.” Among the speakers were Aviva Siegel, a survivor of captivity, and Shira Siegel, the wife and daughter of Keith Siegel, who remains a captive of Hamas.
This comes after 323 days of captivity for 109 hostages and following a week where the bodies of six hostages, kidnapped alive and murdered in Hamas captivity, were returned to Israel for burial. While the deal for the release of the 109 remaining hostages is still on the table, optimism for its completion has dwindled. Despite this, the Hostage Families Headquarters organized Saturday evening's rally to support the families.
Several family members of the hostages spoke at the rally, including Aviva Siegel and Shira Siegel. Ayala Metzger, the daughter-in-law of the late Yoram Metzger, Eyal Mor, the nephew of the late Avraham Munder, Michael Levi, the brother of Or Levi, and Gil Dickman, the cousin of Carmel Gat, also addressed the crowd.
In a simultaneous statement by hostage families at the Begin Gate, they emphasized the situation's urgency: “We are on the eve of a summit in Cairo, and it appears this may be the last opportunity. Either a deal will be struck, or the [regional] escalations will intensify.”
“A deal has been ready for signing since early July, but new conditions pushed by[Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, specifically regarding the Philadelphi Route, are stalling it. This is not about the Philadelphi Route but rather a Philadelphi spin,” the hostage families further stressed.
Hostage families accuse Netanyahu of blocking deal
The families pointed out that the entire Israeli security establishment supports the deal, claiming it serves Israel’s security interests and that any security obstacles have already been removed. They accused Netanyahu of blocking the deal with his focus on the Philadelphi Route, a route that, in their view, the IDF could reclaim in two days.
They pleaded, "Biden, we need your help! We need every bit of pressure possible to break through and finalize the deal this week." They directed their message to the negotiating team: “The hostages need you to fight for their lives. Don’t be afraid to confront Netanyahu. If this deal is thwarted, the death of the hostages will be on your hands as well.”
Einav Zangauker, the mother of Matan Zangauker, also expressed her frustration: “Since the beginning of July, a deal has been waiting, but the conditions pushed by Netanyahu, particularly the Philadelphi Route, are blocking it. The security establishment, which supports the deal, says we can always return to the Philadelphi Route. This isn’t about the route - it’s a spin.”
She addressed US President Joe Biden directly: "Don’t believe Netanyahu. He will lie and deceive you again. He will tell you one thing and then do the opposite. He’ll show you a hint of progress and hope, drag it out, and in the end, as always, he will sabotage it. We need your help—apply every possible pressure to make a breakthrough and seal the deal this week."
Turning to the Israeli public, she urged: “If Netanyahu continues blocking the chance to bring the hostages home, the public and the families need to know the truth. Expose it! Don’t let him sabotage this!”
Yehuda Cohen, the father of soldier Nimrod Cohen, echoed the sentiment: "My son Nimrod was kidnapped alive from his tank into the hell of Gaza. This is the last chance for a deal that can save him. We can always go back to the Philadelphi Route afterward! The entire security establishment supports the deal, saying it’s in Israel’s security interest and that security obstacles have been removed. But Netanyahu is stalling it with the Philadelphi Route.”
He added, “Most of the public and even the government understand that to save lives, a deal must come first, even at the cost of halting the war. If needed, we can resume fighting later—but first, we need the deal.”
Ayala Metzger, the daughter-in-law of the late Yoram Metzger, also spoke: "Yoram Metzger, my beloved father-in-law, was kidnapped alive from his home in Nir Oz. We couldn’t save Yoram, and with great sorrow, we had to bury his body, which was returned this week. We must not abandon those still in captivity."
She expressed outrage over Netanyahu’s conversation with survivors of captivity the previous day, during which he asked what deal was on the table: "We were shocked to hear you ask the survivors, 'What deal is on the table?' 'What deal?' you ask. The deal you are blocking and sabotaging! Anyone who truly wanted to bring the hostages home wouldn’t be asking, 'What deal?' They’d be running to finalize it!"
With anger, she added: "Twenty civilians and soldiers kidnapped alive have died in captivity because of you! Their blood is on your hands! A prime minister who cares more about his seat than the lives of hostages dying in captivity is a criminal against his own people!"
Itzik Horn also pleaded: “Iair and Eitan, my beloved sons, were kidnapped alive. They can still be saved! Make the deal and bring them home." He called on the negotiation team again: “The hostages need you to fight for their lives! Don’t be afraid to confront Netanyahu! Don’t fear exposing the roadblocks he’s putting up! Don’t let him sabotage the deal! And don’t come back without a deal! This is your life’s mission. If the deal is thwarted, the deaths of the hostages will be on your hands as well.”
Yifat Kalderon added: "My cousin Ofer Kalderon was kidnapped alive. This deal may be the last chance to save him! If, after the deal, the threat from Gaza persists, we can always retake the Philadelphi Route! Polls show the majority of the public wants the hostages home! The majority want the deal now!"
Addressing opponents of the deal, the families said: "The extremists opposing the deal, and Netanyahu who aligns with them, do not represent the majority of the public. They are inciting against the families and spreading lies instead of focusing on bringing home the hostages that were abandoned on their watch! We thank the public that continues to fight alongside us. Keep fighting in the streets! This deal is what the country needs! We will never stop until we bring everyone home."