Netanyahu slammed for reportedly saying ‘hostages are suffering but they are not dying’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu draws fierce criticism from families of Gaza hostages following a report that during last night’s security cabinet meeting he dismissed the danger to those being held in Gaza.

According to the Ynet news site, Netanyahu said during a discussion about the ceasefire and hostage deal being negotiated with Hamas that “we shouldn’t be stressed. Hamas is the one that should be stressed. The hostages are suffering but they are not dying.”

In a statement, the Hostages Families Forum calls on Netanyahu to “immediately explain” his statement.

“The prime minister’s remarks are not only deeply hurtful to the hostages’ families but also factually inaccurate and dangerously irresponsible. The grim reality is undeniable: hostages have already been murdered in captivity. More hostages may be losing their lives at this very moment,” the group says, adding that the negotiations “have reached a critical juncture” and that the current proposal “represents the only viable path to secure the release of all hostages.”

“It is imperative that the entire Israeli government, led by the prime minister, do everything in its power to expedite the signing of this deal, rather than creating obstacles,” the forum declares.

It remains unclear how many hostages are still alive in Gaza, with a Hamas official telling CNN last month that “no one has any idea about this.”

The full text of the Israeli hostage release-ceasefire proposal seems to acknowledge this, stating that if “the number of living Israeli hostages to be released” at a certain stage does not reach the number agreed, “the difference will be completed through the release of a corresponding number of human remains.”

It is believed that 120 hostages are being held by terrorists in Gaza. The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 42 of them.