From the Liveblog of
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Hostage’s mother denounces Netanyahu: Because of you, Israeli women are being raped now in Gaza
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Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “torpedoing” a potential deal for the release of the hostages.
Speaking along with the relatives of several other hostages at a press conference on Begin Street in Tel Aviv, shortly before tonight’s rallies began, Zangauker, who has said she is a former Likud voter, denounced the prime minister in notably bitter language.
“You are responsible for the abandonment of the hostages in Gaza,” she charged. “Because of you, Israeli women are being raped now in Gaza. Because of you, Israeli men are being tortured in Gaza. Because of you, hostages are being murdered in captivity. Yes, because of you.”
She added: “They could already have been at home, but you torpedoed the deal.”
Speakers at the event cited what they call “testimonials” from two unnamed members of the Israeli hostage negotiating team, interviewed on Thursday’s Uvda investigative program, who were deeply critical of Netanyahu’s policies on the negotiations. “Without Netanyahu, the chances of making a deal would be better,” one of the two negotiators told the program.
At tonight’s event, the families said those interviews showed “that Netanyahu is sabotaging the deal, just like we have been repeatedly saying.”
It is believed that 129 hostages kidnapped on October 7 are still held in Gaza, not all of them alive.
The Times of Israel Community.