Eli Albag, Liri’s father, tells those who opposed the deal: ‘I despise you; the people will settle accounts’

Eli Albag, father of freed hostage Liri Albag, praises Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and those members of the coalition and opposition who supported the hostage-ceasefire deal, but denounces those who opposed it and those who voted against it, saying that he despises them and that the nation will “settle accounts” with them.

“I want to thank the citizens of Israel, thanks to whom the hostages are starting to come back,” Albag says, speaking to the press at Rabin Medical Center along with other families of the four hostages freed yesterday. “Don’t rest and don’t be silent until the last of the hostages comes home,” he implores.

He also appeals to Netanyahu and the Israeli leadership to make sure that all the hostages are returned: “I want to say to the prime minister and the members of the government, to the coalition and the opposition, to those who supported the deal, my heart is with you. Stick with the deal until the end.”

However, he goes on, “To the opponents, the people will settle accounts with you. When you saw my daughter and the three other surveillance soldiers emerge, smiling and proud, where were you, those of you who voted against the deal, when the whole of the nation stood and rejoiced?”

Netanyahu, he says, “took a brave stance.” By contrast, “I despise you, those of you who opposed [the deal].”

Albag mourns the loss of the 54 soldiers who fell defending the Nahal Oz base when Hamas attacked on October 7, 2023, and the surveillance soldiers who were killed.

He says his heart is with the families of all the soldiers who have fallen, calling them angels in heaven, and adding: “It is thanks to you that my Liri and all the hostages are coming home.”

Albag also thanks former president Joe Biden, President Donald Trump, Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, President Isaac Herzog and all the negotiators for their work so far.

“The work is not done,” he stresses. “There are 90 more members of my family there.”

“We can’t smile until the last one comes home,” he says.

Albag concludes: “I thank everyone — the people of Israel, my family, my daughters, my son, my wife the fighter — and Liri, [who is] somewhere up there [on a higher floor of the hospital].”

“I don’t know where [she is], but I love you,” he says to Liri.

“And I’m leaving you,” he says to the press, “and going to hug her.”