A statement released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office welcomes the release of the three Israeli hostages, but says that Israel will not accept the harsh images seen in their handover.
“The government of Israel embraces the three returnees,” says the statement from Netanyahu, who is spending the weekend in the US.
“The shocking images we saw today will not pass without response,” the statement says.
The three, Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami, appeared severely malnourished and frail as they were made to take part in a Hamas propaganda ceremony.
“The government, together with security officials, will support them and their families. Israel is committed to bringing back all the hostages and missing,” the PMO statement says.
A second statement by Netanyahu’s office, says Israel will take unspecified actions.
“Due to the harsh condition of the three hostages and the repeated violations of the Hamas terror groups, the prime minister has ordered that Israel will not gloss over this and will take action as needed,” the statement says.
Officials decline to specify what actions Israel will take.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, February 8, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
