Hostage families’ forum: Tunnel footage shows executed hostages ‘suffered until their last breath’; lives of others ‘hang by a thread’

The Hostages Families Forum says that the footage published by the IDF of the tunnel in which six hostages were executed “leaves no doubt as to the cruelty of their last moments.”

In a statement published in English, the forum says that Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alex Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, and Eden Yerushalmi “suffered until their last breath.”

“They were confined in narrow 1.5 meters tall tunnels, deep underground, deprived of air, sanitary conditions and subjected to constant mental and physical abuse before their brutal execution,” the forum says.

“They begged to be released, pleaded for their lives. Fought for their lives until their death.”

It adds that there are still 101 hostages in Gaza who are “enduring unimaginable suffering. Hungry, exhausted, tortured, they cling to a single hope: that we will continue fighting for their freedom.”

“They trust us to bring them home. Every day in captivity is eternity. Every day that passes is a danger to their lives, hanging by a thread, at the mercy of terrorists capable of the worst crimes against humanity,” the forum warns, adding that time is running out for a deal that will bring about their release.

In a similar statement in Hebrew, the forum also slams Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that he and the government “hold joint responsibility for the fate and safety of our hostages.”

“Their silence and inaction are unparalleled in the country’s history,” it says of the government. “History will forever reckon with them.”