‘Humiliated’ hostage families say cabinet refusing to meet them; warn of increased protests

Families of the hostages who remain in Gaza are demanding to meet with all the members of the war cabinet, warning they will step up protests against the government if they refuse. They note that they asked for a meeting two days ago, after the truce broke down and hostage releases halted, and say it is outrageous that they are being ignored.

“All we ask is that the cabinet meet with us today, we deserve it, this ignoring us is humiliating,”  Yael Adar, mother of hostage Tamir Adar, tells a press conference.

“If they don’t meet with us by eight tonight we will need to ask what look into what to do to step up our protests,” she says, adding that the families will gather at the entrance to Tel Aviv’s Kirya IDF-Defense Ministry complex and stay there.

She says the families want to be reassured that freeing the hostages remains the government’s priority after Israel recalled its negotiators from talks and resumed its Gaza ground offensive.

She notes the testimonies of released hostages about the abuse they suffered in Hamas captivity.

Daniel Lifshitz, whose grandparents Yocheved and Oded Lifshitz were taken hostage, calls on the government to free the hostages “at any price.”

Yocheved was released but Oded, 83, remains a hostage.

“Return to the negotiating table immediately and reach an agreement at any price. That is what you promised us,” he says.