Gaza captive's sister blames Netanyahu for brother's death

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
6 Apr 2024 19:21
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Elad Katzir's sister asserts that her brother would have survived had they agreed to a fresh ceasefire deal.

Israeli occupation settlers take part in a protest against Israeli PM’s government outside of the Knesset, in occupied of the Knesset, in occupied al-Quds, occupied Palestine, Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP)

The sister of Elad Katzir, the Israeli captive whose body was allegedly retrieved by the Israeli army after being buried in Gaza, accused Israeli authorities of being responsible for his death, AFP reported.

In a post on Facebook, Carmit Palty Katzir, the sister, wrote that Elad was in "Nir Oz" during the Resistance's Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and he was held captive in Gaza.

She held the Israeli authorities accountable for her brother's death, asserting that he would have survived had they agreed to a fresh ceasefire deal.

"Our leadership is cowardly and driven by political consideration, which is why this deal has not happened yet,” she wrote.

“Prime minister, war cabinet, and coalition members: Look at yourself in the mirror and say if your hands didn’t spill blood,” she added.

No details were provided about Katzir's death, but over six months, several captives were killed in the indiscriminate Israeli bombing of the Strip, while others were deliberately killed in what was dubbed "friendly fire".

The sister's remarks underscore the mounting scrutiny on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government regarding its management of the ongoing aggression on Gaza.

Negotiators were anticipated to convene in Cairo over the weekend for renewed efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement, amid the approaching six-month milestone of the war on Gaza on Sunday.

Despite sporadic attempts, discussions have failed to progress since a week-long ceasefire in November, which marked the sole instance of such an agreement since October 7, involving the exchange of Israeli captives for Palestinian detainees.

'Israel to be lost for another 2,000 years': Israeli Res. Gen. says

Amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza, voices from within Israeli settler communities are warning of a dire situation as they caution against the continuation of the war on Gaza that they argue is contributing to the erosion of the foundations of the Israeli occupation.

Critics, including prominent Israeli voices, have accused the government and military of perpetuating falsehoods to prolong the war on Gaza for their own political and military interests. They assert that the narrative being disseminated, which touts military achievements and promises of security, is a smokescreen aimed at buying time rather than addressing the pressing issues facing the nation.

"The majority of the people believe this horrific lie they [the government and military] are spreading on every political and military level in order to gain time for their political and military survival and search for a last resort to save themselves as much as possible," wrote Israeli Major General (Ret.) Yitzhak Brick in an article in Maariv Israeli newspaper on Friday.

The ramifications of persisting with the war, Brick argues, extend beyond the immediate military objectives. He warned of societal disintegration, with the fabric of the Israeli settler community fraying at its seams across various sectors including security, economy, education, and healthcare.

"We've become people without passion, indifferent, disinterested, acting like machines," the Israeli military affairs expert stressed. "Only stopping the fighting in the Gaza Strip now can stop the collapse of the state."

Moreover, he called for a strategic reevaluation and urged Israeli leaders to prioritize national interests over narrow political agendas while emphasizing the need to address underlying vulnerabilities, such as economic instability, strained international relations, and societal divisions exacerbated by the protracted conflict.

"We need to take a break, return the abducted, prepare the army for the large-scale regional war, which is a real existential threat to our survival in this geographic location," Brick underlined. "Continuing the war in the Gaza Strip, which lost its objective a while ago, is the guaranteed path to further disintegration of the state."

"It's better to preserve our military achievements in the Gaza Strip so far than lose them. The opposite is true; the more we continue fighting in Gaza, the deeper we'll sink into the muck," he added. "Destroying four battalions in Rafah and "completely undermining Hamas" is the biggest lie in the history of Israel's wars, a lie they [the government and military] are selling us."

"We are now standing on the edge of the abyss, and if we continue to stand by and believe the fake news our leaders are spreading, there will be no recovery or way back soon, and we will lose the state for another 2,000 years," Brick stressed.