A delegation of released hostages and their family members, who still have loved ones held hostage by Hamas, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for three hours on Friday, according to Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Following the meeting, the returned hostage Yelena Troufanov shared that she left the meeting "with more hope," than when it began. She further added that Netanyahu "looked me in the eyes and said he would do anything to return my son alive," according to the announcement.
Yocheved Lifshitz, who returned from Hamas captivity in late October, and her husband Oded is still in captivity, was also in the meeting with the Prime Minister and stated that "Netanyahu had promised to send representatives. One of the government's biggest embarrassments is that no representative has visited the hostages from the kibbutzim, especially in Nir Oz."
Lifshitz pressed the Prime Ministers for answers concerning the IDF on October 7, stating, "I still haven't received an answer as to why the IDF neglected us and did not arrive. Only after the kidnappers, rapists, and murderers finished their work, and all the looters had done their part - only then did the IDF arrive."
"He has no answer for that," shared Lifshitz. "I asked him if he knows where Nir Oz is on the map, and he said he does. So I hope he will also know how to handle Nir Oz properly, come, feel our pain, and see that Nir Oz is 80% burned and destroyed."
Lifshitz's son, Yizhar, also attended the meeting, after which he said: "The Prime Minister committed to the returned hostages, who still have loved ones inside, that he would do everything to bring them back alive. The word 'alive' narrows it down to a specific time."
Demanding immediate action for remaining hostages
He further shared that Netanyahu vowed "to show more sensitivity, visit kibbutz [Nir Oz], feel the communities' pain, and to be part of that feeling."
Eleonora Ben-Ami, whose father - Ohad - is still held captive by Hamas, said, "In the meeting with the Prime Minister, my mother spoke about what they went through in captivity. I asked him not to give up. We received a nod and confirmation from him," according to the announcement by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Ben-Ami further emphasized, "We demand that the Prime Minister fulfill his commitments and work to bring the [remaining] hostages back. We understand that he is well-informed and genuinely engaged. But we feel that it won’t happen soon, and I am worried for the lives of the hostages. We must finalize the deal as soon as possible. We need to be 200% invested in this struggle."
She further added that leaving the meeting, she felt that "it is not going to happen soon, and [she] fears for [her] father's life, the girls who are still there, and everyone else." She further stressed that with all of the "disinformation" they received, it is "impossible to know what is true."
Ben-Ami also addressed the Prime Minister directly, saying, "After our conversation, I expect you to stand by your words and fulfill your promise to return as many people as possible alive and to start the reconstruction of the people of Israel. Because after the hours of October 7, when we sat helpless in the protected room, now it has been months that people are sitting helplessly in the tunnels."