Families of hostages urge Israeli leaders to meet them: ‘Meeting Biden is easier than the war cabinet’

Holding an hourglass at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, Ruby Chen says if he could he would hug the soldiers who accidentally killed three hostages in the Gaza Strip.

Chen’s son, Itay, is being held hostage by Hamas. Ruby is a representative of four families speaking tonight to hundreds of people gathered at the square.

The mistaken killing of the hostages has prompted a new outpouring of emotion in Israel, including by many lobbying for a second hostage agreement with Hamas.

“We have no time, this is why I’m walking around with this hourglass, both here and in the United States,” says Chen, who is a dual citizen of Israel and the US.

He makes two demands: “That the Israeli cabinet meet us today, and that it tells us what offer is on the table.” He says the cabinet is avoiding meeting families of hostages. “We need to free terrorists with blood on their hands to get the hostages back. Or my son’s coming home in a bag,” he says.

“Meeting US President Joe Biden is easier than getting a meeting with the war cabinet,” Chen adds.

The soldiers who killed the hostages are not to blame for the incident but the people who sent them there are, says Dany Elgarat, whose brother Yitzhak is being held by Hamas.

Elgarat threatens to “set up an encampment” outside the nearby Kirya army base until there is “an Israeli plan [for a swap with Hamas].”