Families of the hostages from the Hostage Family Forum demanded an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that now is the time to bring the hostages home in a deal.
“Before [teams] go to negotiations, after the assassination of [Hamas head Yahya] Sinwar, and before any meeting with political forums who do not fully represent the hostage families, we demand again what we asked for over six months ago – an urgent meeting between the prime minister and the body that represents all hostage families,” read a letter addressed to the prime minister.
The demand was made through the Hostage Family Forum by a panel of six hostage family members who said they were selected to speak on behalf of the hostage families by representatives of the families of all of the hostages in Gaza.
“The series of security achievements” Israel has recently made “mandate the creation of a clear, determined, and brave policy to realize victory. There will be no such [victory] and never can be victory without the return of all the hostages – the living for rehabilitation and the dead for burial,” said the letter.
Call on prime minister to meet families 'without discrimination'
“Now is the time to bring all the hostages home,” the families went on to say, adding that this must be done through a deal and in one stage.
“Time [going by] is continuing to endanger the hostages, and it is clear to all that part have paid with their lives for the continuation of the war.”
The representatives urged the prime minister to meet with them, urging him to meet the families “without discrimination, without political selection, [and] without further delay.”
They emphasized that they had cleared their schedules for the immediate future so that they would be able to meet the prime minister whenever he was available.