Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks by phone with released hostages Sagui Dekel-Chen and Ohad Ben-Ami and their wives, says the Prime Minister’s Office.
Dekel-Chen was freed on February 15, and Ben-Ami was freed a week earlier.
According to Netanyahu’s office, he asks about their return to their homes and families, and emphasizes “the victory of their bodies and spirits during their captivity.”
Netanyahu tells the two that Israel had to apply great pressure on Hamas to secure their release.
“Hamas demanded the release of only a limited number of live hostages in the current agreement, while the prime minister insisted on maximizing the number of live hostages who return in phase one of the deal,” says the self-congratulatory PMO statement, “and this effort succeeded thanks to our brave soldiers and determined and informed decision-making.”
Netanyahu promises that he will continue working to bring all of the remaining hostages home.
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Sunday, February 23, 2025
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