Netanyahu blamed for sabotaging Gaza captives deal, say their families
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The families of Israeli captives say Netanyahu deliberately blocked the Gaza deal to save captives, prioritizing war over diplomacy to protect his political survival.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the audience at a conference in occupied al-Quds, occupied Palestine, Sunday, July 27, 2025. (AP)
Families of Israeli captives held in Gaza accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday of deliberately obstructing a comprehensive prisoner-exchange agreement, stating that multiple viable deals were sabotaged by his government.
In public remarks made in response to recent reports about Netanyahu’s insistence on continuing the war, the families warned that any attempt to occupy Gaza would guarantee the loss of the captives and result in further Israeli military casualties.
“A comprehensive deal was possible,” the families said, “but the Netanyahu government intentionally blocked all rescue efforts.”
Since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, internal pressure has mounted on Netanyahu’s administration, especially from families of soldiers and captives held by Palestinian Resistance factions. They accuse the prime minister of prioritizing war over negotiation, thereby neglecting the fate of the captives.
Netanyahu stubbornly rejects ceasefire deals
Despite repeated regional and international mediation efforts to forge a broad prisoner-swap deal, Netanyahu has rejected proposed frameworks, reportedly due to personal and political considerations, including his ongoing corruption trial and fears that a deal with Gaza could collapse his fragile coalition government.
Several right-wing ministers have publicly threatened to dissolve the government if any agreement is reached that involves concessions to the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza.
Dozens of demonstrators blocked traffic on the Ayalon Highway early Sunday, demanding the urgent release of captives held in Gaza after the Resistance published footage of two emaciated Israeli captives, drawing alarm and reigniting public pressure on the Israeli government.
The protest, organized by the Women’s Protest group and joined by relatives of previously released captives, unfolded on the Jewish day of mourning, Tisha B’Av. The symbolism was deliberate: banners read “Abandonment of the hostages = destruction of the Third Temple,” and chants of “Why are they still in Gaza?” echoed across the highway. Others carried signs in English, such as “Never again is now” and “Everyone in a deal. Get out of Gaza.”
Emaciated Israeli captives
The anger comes after Hamas and Islamic Jihad released separate videos of captives Evyatar David and Rom Braslavsky, both visibly starved due to the Israeli blockade on Gaza. One video showed David digging his own grave, with bones protruding from his frame, an image that has sent shockwaves through Israeli society.
“This morning is the Ninth of Av, and the greatest destruction has only been getting deeper for 667 days,” said a statement from protesters, referencing the period since the October 7, 2023 attack that launched the war. They blamed Netanyahu's government for abandoning the captives, accusing officials of failing to secure their release through negotiations.
“It is impossible to breathe in the face of the pictures of Evyatar David and Rom Braslavsky,” the statement continued. “Bring everyone back, the living and the dead, and end the war already.”
Captives dropping one by one
David, who appeared in a prior Hamas video in February, was reportedly in poor health even then. Islamic Jihad, for its part, claimed over a week ago that it had lost contact with the unit holding Braslavsky, saying the new video was recorded earlier.
Tal Shoham, a former captive who was held alongside David, confirmed in a video statement that Hamas had adequate food supplies but was deliberately starving captives for propaganda purposes. “David is under really extreme life-threatening danger right now,” Shoham said.
In a column for Ynet, former captive Ohad Ben-Ami said the starvation seen in the recent videos echoed his own experience. “When I returned from captivity, my body had only 3.5% body fat… Evyatar and Rom may be in this situation as well,” he wrote. “The negotiations need to be quick, so we can save them.”
