From the Liveblog of
Saturday, February 15, 2025
Echoing Trump, hawkish hostage forum demands release of all abductees or Hamas to face ‘hell’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
The hawkish Tikva Forum, which represents a group of hostage families, congratulates the hostages released today, and states that the next phase of hostage releases must look “completely different,” with “no humiliations and no staged events,” referring to the Hamas ceremonies parading the hostages before they are released to the Red Cross.
“We demand the release of all the remaining hostages on one day, on one bus, and if this doesn’t happen, then all hell must break out on Hamas,” states the Tikva Forum, echoing US President Donald Trump’s threat from earlier this week. “Stop the electricity, stop the water, a total siege and re-occupation!
“We need to hit the Hamas-Nazi terror organization hard until they release all the hostages, until they understand that holding hostages is a burden and not an asset.”
The Forum states that the next phase of the hostage deal must begin with an ultimatum, with the backing of the president of the United States, and not from a position of weakness.
“In our region, only force is understood,” says the Forum.
The Times of Israel Community.