Hostage czar position left empty as Hirsch term ends; PMO says working to renew contract

The tenure of Gal Hirsch as the government’s hostage point man has ended without a replacement being appointed, the Prime Minister’s Office confirms in a statement, saying the PMO is working to renew its contractual arrangement with him.

Despite Hirsch’s tenure ending on June 6, “the operational and national need for the continued work and responsibilities of the Coordinator for Hostages and the Missing remains unchanged, and its importance is unequivocal,” the PMO says, amid concerns that the vacant position will harm Israel’s ability to advance the release of any Israelis taken hostage, detained, or missing.

The PMO does not say how many Israelis remain hostage, but few cases are publicly known. They include three Israelis captured during the invasion of Lebanon in 1982, including airman Ron Arad, whose burial locations remain unknown.

“This field requires professional continuity, leadership of Israel’s POW and MIA missions, preservation of the expertise and institutional knowledge that has been accumulated, preparedness for emergencies, and the continued management of complex coordination efforts with all relevant bodies in Israel and abroad. Accordingly, the office is working to advance a renewed engagement arrangement to ensure functional continuity and provide the best possible response to the ongoing missions related to prisoners of war and missing persons,” the statement adds.

Hirsch began serving as hostage point man on October 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas-led invasion and massacre in which 251 Israelis and foreign nationals were taken hostage. All of them have since been released, though dozens were killed during the onslaught or in captivity in Gaza.

Hirsch established the government framework responsible for overseeing hostage recovery efforts and managing relations with the Gaza hostages’ families, and was also involved in securing the release of Israeli detainees in Jordan, Lebanon, and South America. His tenure was extended twice, in February of last year and March of this year, before expiring this past weekend.

Throughout his service, Hirsch faced sharp criticism from former hostages and family members of captives, who criticized his conduct toward them. After he spoke out against public rallying for a hostage deal, suggesting that such demonstrations emboldened Hamas, six former hostages and over 70 relatives of hostages called for his resignation.