Israeli captives' families accuse Netanyahu of blocking prisoner swap
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The families of the Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of impeding the prisoner swap efforts as he continues to hinder talks.
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Relatives of captives, held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, protest outside of the Israeli Security Ministry in Tel Aviv, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025 (AP)
The Israeli Hostage Families Forum has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing the prisoner exchange deal with Hamas to appease his coalition partners at the expense of the captives' lives.
In a statement, the forum said, “It is inconceivable that former US President Donald Trump and his envoy, Steve Witkoff, are more committed to bringing back the hostages than Netanyahu.”
The families highlighted that 63 Israeli captives remain in Gaza after 505 days, expressing frustration over ongoing efforts to stall the second phase of the exchange deal.
Addressing Netanyahu directly, the statement warned: “We know some are urging you to destroy Hamas’ rule, but this would inevitably lead to the execution of the hostages.”
The families insisted that securing the captives’ return must take priority before addressing other political or military objectives, emphasizing that the captives should not pay the price for the government's failures.
They urged the Israeli government to expedite the next phase of the deal and called on the US president to pressure Netanyahu into finalizing the agreement swiftly.
The forum also revealed that a proposal for a single-phase prisoner exchange is on the table, with backing from the US administration. It criticized the Israeli government as “detached from reality,” accusing it of prioritizing war rhetoric over a comprehensive deal.
Reaffirming their commitment to continued protests, the families demanded the immediate and unconditional return of all captives without delay or phased releases. They also noted that Hamas is willing to return all captives in exchange for ending the war, urging the Israeli occupation to accept the deal without further postponement.
Hamas affirms Netanyahu stalling
Hamas accused Thursday Netanyahu of delaying negotiations for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, following the exchange of the bodies of four deceased Israeli captives on Thursday.
This marked the seventh exchange since the ceasefire took effect on January 19, ending 15 months of massacres and destruction led by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).
According to Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif Al-Qanou, the second phase of the ceasefire agreement has "not practically begun", despite Hamas being "ready to engage in them as stipulated in the agreement." Al-Qanou stated that "Netanyahu is procrastinating regarding the second phase," suggesting a deliberate attempt by "Israel's" leadership to delay progress.
The accusations come just a day after "Israel" set strict and unreasonable conditions for the second phase of the ceasefire.
