TEL AVIV – The families of hostages held in Gaza have called on Israel to stop fighting and make a deal to secure their release after the army admitted to “mistakenly” killing three captives in the Palestinian territory.
“We only receive dead bodies. We want you to stop the fight and start negotiations,” Noam Perry, daughter of hostage Haim Perry, said at an event in Tel Aviv organised by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum on Saturday.
“We feel like we’re in a Russian roulette game (finding out) who will be next in line to be told the death of their loved one,” said Ruby Chen, father of 19-year-old soldier Itai, who is among the captives.
Chen said that they explained to them first that the ground operation would bring back the abductees.
“It doesn’t work. Because since then, abductees have been seen returning, but not so much alive. It’s time to change this assumption,” he said.
Killing sparks protests
Three hostages were shirtless and carried “a stick with a white cloth on it,” yet an Israeli soldier felt “threatened” and opened fire on them, according to the Israeli army.
The news of their killing sparked protests in Israel and the relatives of the remaining hostages are terrified their loved ones could be next.
Around 250 people were taken hostage during the Palestinian group Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel.
Vowing to destroy Hamas and bring back the hostages, Israel launched a brutal attack on Palestine’s Gaza that has left much of the enclave in ruins.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in the besieged territory says Israel has killed at least 18,800 people, mostly women and children in Gaza. -AFP
