From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Netanyahu mourns former hostage Katzir: ‘She bore the scars until her last day’
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expresses sorrow over the death of Kibbutz Nir Oz resident Hanna Katzir, who was held hostage by Hamas in Gaza for two months and lost her husband and son at the hands of the terror group.
“We were able to bring home Hanna, who was brutally kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, but her body and soul bore the scars of the horror until her last day,” says Netanyahu in a statement released by his office.
Katzir was among the 105 civilians released by Hamas during a weeklong truce in November 2023. Israel has since then failed to reach a further agreement for the rest of the hostages, with many critics blaming Netanyahu.
“We embrace the Katzir family and are committed to doing everything we can and to continuing to work tirelessly until we bring all of our hostages home,” Netanyahu says.
The statement is also attributed to Netanyahu’s wife Sara, who left Israel a month ago and has yet to return, according to reports.
The Times of Israel Community.