Cousin of slain hostage: If leaders occupy Gaza, they will knowingly bring about murder of hostages

At a weekly press conference in Tel Aviv, a group of hostage families urges the defense establishment to refuse orders to occupy Gaza, stating that the move will lead to the murder of hostages.

Gil Dickmann, cousin of murdered hostage Carmel Gat, says if leaders move ahead with the occupation of Gaza City, “you will knowingly bring about the murder of hostages.”

“A black flag flew over the order to enter into Rafah,” he says, referring to the operation during which his sister and five other hostages were found murdered by their captors a year ago.

He calls on the defense establishment, “don’t give a hand to the occupation of Gaza on the backs of the hostages.”

Merav Svirsky, sister of slain hostage Itay Svirsky, says, “the Israeli government is working to prepare the ground for the next murder of hostages. This is not theory; this is a real warning that is coming from official sources and senior officials. Itay, my dear, was murdered because of military pressure.”

She says a “black flag” flies over the planned conquering of Gaza, and that it was a “duty to oppose a clearly illegal order, and this is exactly the order that the cabinet imposes on the chief of staff.”