Families of captives slam decision to leave troops in Gaza indefinitely
As we reported earlier, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced that troops will remain in Gaza “security zones” indefinitely. The families of the captives, who are still waiting for the government to agree to a new deal to bring their loved ones home, did not welcome the news.
“They promised that the kidnapped come first. In practice, Israel is choosing to seize territory over the kidnapped,” read a statement from headquarters of the Hostages and Missing Families Prisoners Forum.
“It is time to stop with the false promises and slogans. It is impossible to continue the war and at the same time release all the kidnapped,” it said. The only feasible solution, the statement added, is that all captives are freed as part of a deal “even at the cost of ending the war”.
Something is very wrong when ending a war is seen as a 'cost'.
Over 200 former Israeli police officers call for end to Gaza war and return of captives
More than 200 former Israeli police officers have called for the return of captives in Gaza, even if it means ending the Gaza war, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports. Many of the signatories are police chiefs and district commanders, including some who were ousted from their roles by far-right ministers, Haaretz said.
The letter was also signed by former Israel Prison Service head Aharon Franco and former commander Danny Elgarat, whose brother Itzhak Elgarat was killed in Gaza, the outlet reported.
There is growing dissent in Israel against the continuing war.
The petition by former police officers joins a number of letters from the past week by former members of Israel’s defence establishment, following the letter published by Israeli Air Force reservists.
The former police officers stated that they supported the air force veterans’ protest, which led the Israeli military chief and air force commander to dismiss them from duty, Haaretz reported.
Israeli minister calls for ‘hellfire on makers of terrorism’ in Gaza
Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar says no humanitarian aid should enter Gaza.
“The despicable murderers in Gaza deserve no humanitarian assistance from any civilian or military mechanism,” Zohar said on X. “Only hellfire should be poured on the makers of terrorism until the last hostage returns from Gaza.”
His comments come soon after Defence Minister Israel Katz reiterated that no aid convoys will be allowed inside the Strip as a tool to pressure Hamas.
A full blockade of humanitarian aid into the Strip has been ongoing since early March. The combination of bombs and a debilitating humanitarian situation is rapidly worsening conditions in Gaza.
Civilians in the enclave have been subjected to extreme food shortages and famine-like conditions throughout the war. Dozens of children have died of starvation, and countless others have succumbed to wounds or preventable illnesses during a deteriorating man-made humanitarian disaster.
