“Hamas is still in Gaza; the hostages have not come back, but, practically speaking, we have finished the war in Gaza,” said Udi Goren, whose cousin Tal Haimi was killed by Hamas and whose body is still held hostage.
“Right now, all the military focus has moved north, and we are basically finishing the fighting in the South without attaining any of the goals that were set for the war,” he said, explaining why the escalation in the North has left him so worried about the fate of the hostages.
Goren explained that he is worried that the hostages will be neglected and that state and public focus will move on from them.
“The fear is that this will turn into a chronic pain that we become accustomed to,” he explained, saying he fears Israel will be stuck in a situation where there are hostages and the government is not trying to get them out.
“The press, global public opinion, and Israeli public opinion are moving to the recent events, and I feel that, surprisingly easily, they just forgot that [the hostage situation] exists.
“If you pay attention to public attention, to what is happening in the news studios, to what is filling the background, what the IDF spokesperson is talking about, what the IDF chief of staff is talking about, it’s all Lebanon now,” he added.
It’s not that the situation in Israel’s North does not demand a response and to be handled, he explained.
“But we did not imagine, in our worst nightmares, that we would simply finish the war without [attaining any of its goals], and we would just move to fight in the North.
Worse than any nightmare
“I heard the heads of the security establishment saying that the IDF has completed its job in Gaza. From here, the full responsibility is to exchange the military accomplishments for diplomatic accomplishments and so the full responsibility moves to the political echelon – to the government,” he said.
Goren emphasized that up until a month ago, there was a deal on the table that he said was accepted by the negotiation team and Hamas and had passed all the relevant stages of approval – but nothing came of it.
Now, the families are hearing about ideas for deals that Goren says aren’t serious and would never be accepted.
Given this and the fact that the war in Gaza is over, “what am I supposed to think?” he asked.
Goren explained why his focus and many of his demands are for Israel’s government – “this is my government.”
“It is responsible for my cousin; it is responsible for the situation we are in. I don’t have anyone else to go to,” he said, adding that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is not interested in him or his wellbeing.
Goren also called on leaders around the world to take action.
“If you really care that Gazans are suffering and dying and you really care that hostages are suffering and dying, start demanding [action],” he said, calling on them to sanction Hamas for its continued war crime of holding hostages.
He also called on world leaders to demand Israel show a plan of action and a willingness to end the situation and bring the hostages home.