Israeli captive’s mother fears Netanyahu ready to ‘condemn’ son ‘to death’
The mother of 25-year-old Israeli captive Matan Zangauker has urged Israelis to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s expected plan to expand military operations in Gaza, a move she believes endangers the remaining captives.
In a video statement shared on X, Einav Zangauker accused Netanyahu and his cabinet, who are meeting tonight to discuss the plan, of seeking to “sentence Matan, my son, and all the living hostages to death by starvation and torment”.
“This madness must be stopped!” she said. “This is your moment, the people, to come out of your homes and save our future!” she said, calling on fellow Israelis to rally outside tonight’s security meeting.
“Come fight with us, for life, for the State of Israel, for the future of us all.”
Protest flotilla with Israeli captives’ relatives heads in direction of Gaza: Report
A protest flotilla organised by relatives of Israeli captives has set off towards Gaza, according to the Israel Hayom newspaper. The flotilla, joined by about 20 of the relatives, is being coordinated with Israeli forces and will not come too close to the enclave’s coast, the media reports.
Al Jazeera’s Hoda Abdel-Hamid said the flotilla action is a “desperate move by families who are worried about the fate of their loved ones”. They hope their journey sends a message to the government and also somehow reaches the captives themselves, she said.
“One of the [captive’s] fathers actually has a megaphone and is addressing his son, hoping he can hear, telling him to hold strong, that the families are behind him,” our reporter said.
“It’s also a message to the government that time is running out and that the life of their loved ones has to be a priority,” she added.
A woman uses a megaphone as families of captives held in Gaza sail from the Ashkelon marina to the Gaza maritime border, on August 7
