A state of anger prevailed among the families of Israeli prisoners in Gaza when they met with members of the War Council led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Tuesday, and some of them withdrew from the meeting in protest at the failure to answer their questions.

A number of Israeli hostages who were released from the Gaza Strip, according to an exchange deal with the Hamas movement, when they met with members of the Israeli “war cabinet” led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Tuesday, demanded the speedy release of more Israeli hostages, confirming what had been announced. The Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza said that the occupation bombed homes where hostages were held, saying that they were afraid that “Israel, not Hamas” would kill them.

During the meeting, a state of anger and tension prevailed between people who were released after being detained by the resistance factions in the Gaza Strip and the families of people who are still detained in the Strip. They attacked the Israeli Prime Minister, Netanyahu, and considered that the declared Israeli goal of eliminating the Hamas movement was “merely... A joke,” while the Israeli occupation army announced that 138 people are still being held by resistance factions in Gaza.

The Israeli media broadcast leaks of what was stated in the meeting, from which some withdrew in protest at the failure to answer their questions. Reports confirmed that “some of the kidnapped persons who were released left the place,” as physical confrontations took place between families of detainees in Gaza. Israeli media broadcast scenes of a detained father. He is still in captivity, insulting the government.

Detainees who were released and participated in the meeting raised fears that the Israeli army raids would harm the abductees who were still there, and Netanyahu responded by saying: “That will be part of the considerations, but we must continue the ground maneuvers. This is the only way to put pressure on Hamas.” 

The majority of the "liberated hostages" and the families of detainees still in the Gaza Strip demanded stopping the ground operation of the occupation army in the besieged Gaza Strip, reducing the intensity of the bombing, and making more efforts to reach new understandings that contribute to the exchange of prisoners with the Hamas movement, similar to the seven-day truce that was concluded. Dozens of hostages released.

Netanyahu refused to answer questions from the families of detainees in Gaza, and instead insisted on reading from a paper he wrote. According to those present at the meeting, Netanyahu said that "it is not possible to return all the detainees now, and he asked those present if any of them imagined that if there was such a possibility (returning everyone), would there be anyone who would reject it?"

“We were afraid that Israel would kill us and say: Hamas did that.”

The recordings showed a difficult and tense atmosphere between the hostages and their families on the one hand, and the Israeli Prime Minister on the other hand. They also revealed shocking evidence confirming what the resistance factions had announced, that the Israeli bombing targeted sites where Israelis were detained in the besieged Gaza Strip. It also showed “the anger of the freed people and their relatives at the behavior of the hostages.” the government".

An Israeli woman from Kibbutz Nir Oz who was released under the deal with Hamas said, “I was there and I know how difficult life is in captivity.” She added, "Every day in captivity was very difficult. I was at home when the (Israeli) bombing was targeting all places."

She continued, "We sat in the tunnels and were very afraid, not that Hamas would kill us, but that Israel would kill us and then say, 'Hamas killed them.' So I strongly request that you start exchanging prisoners as soon as possible; you must return everyone to their homes." During the meeting, another Israeli woman who was detained in Gaza and released as part of the deal with Hamas said: “Bombs from a plane exploded above us and the Hamas continued to sleep. Your bombs do not move them.”

“We were exposed to fire from a military helicopter during our capture.”

A third woman who was detained with her children by the resistance factions and was released in the exchange deal, while her husband is still in captivity, said: “The feeling we had there was that no one was doing anything for us. The truth is that I was in a hideout that had been bombed and there was no… We must be smuggled out of there while we are injured” as a result of the Israeli bombing. She added, “This is with the exception of the helicopter that shot at us on our way to Gaza,” referring to their targeting by an Israeli military helicopter during their capture.

She continued, addressing Netanyahu and members of the Israeli “war cabinet”: “You claim to have intelligence information, but the truth is that we were being bombed. My husband was separated from us three days before our return to Israel and taken to the tunnels. And you are talking about flooding the tunnels with seawater? You are bombing.” "The tunnels are in the exact area where my husband is. My daughters are asking about their father, and I have to tell them that the 'bad guys' don't want to release him yet."

She added, "You give importance to politics at the expense of returning the hostages. Do you think that men are strong? My husband beat himself every day, and punched his face until it bled because this experience was difficult for him, and now he is alone, and God knows under what circumstances. I saw one of the hostages die next to me." "In captivity."

She continued, "In light of all this, you want to overthrow the rule of Hamas, to show that you are braver? There is no life here more important than the lives of others detained in Gaza. No one there deserves less treatment from us than any resident of Israel. Return them all immediately." Not next month or after two months or a year. Bring them back immediately.”

Another woman who was detained in Gaza and released in the exchange deal said: “For 51 days I did not sleep or eat. I passed many places. I thought I was going to explode every second. I did not understand how the people of Israel wanted to blow me up? There was a Hamas member standing in front of me who "He could be my grandson and threaten me in every possible way. In Gaza there are no warnings. You are sitting and suddenly a shell falls on you."

The daughter of one of those still detained in Gaza said: “Talk about eliminating Hamas is just a joke in my view. My father is there now, they have shaved off all the hair on his body to humiliate him. This is not the time to destroy Hamas, this is the time to bring my father back home. There are girls.” "They are 18 years old. They were recruited a few months ago. Bring them back home. Then destroy Hamas as you wish."

Source: Sama News