Parents of sons held hostage in Gaza oppose deal, urge military action for release

Several relatives of Israelis who are presumed to be held hostage in Gaza question the deal to release 50 Israeli hostages for some 150 Palestinian prisoners, an agreement that began to be implemented Friday with the release of the first 13 Israeli hostages.

“The most correct and effective way of retrieving the hostages is by applying uncompromising pressure on Hamas, until the hostages become a liability for Hamas instead of an asset,” says a spokesperson of Tikvah, a new forum for families of hostages that oppose making hostage deals with Hamas.

Forum founder Eliyahu Libman heads the municipality of the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba near Hebron. His son Elyakim is believed to be held hostage following the October 7 atrocities. “We’re glad about the return of each and every hostage,” his forum tells The Times of Israel in reply to a request to interview Libman.

A forum spokesperson says the forum members has decided to stop giving interviews on the subject.

Hamas, which is believed to have abducted 240 hostages from Israel released on Friday 13 hostages out of 50 included in an exchange deal that Qatar helped mediate. Israel is expected to release a total of 150 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the hostages. The deal is expected to happen in several stages over the course of a lull in fighting of at least four days.

Another parent from the Tikvah forum, Zvika Mor, also opposes the deal. “Our eagerness to receive the hostages raises their price,” Mor, whose son is believed to be in Gaza, tells Channel 14.

Keren Gonen, whose sister Romi is thought to be held hostage, dismisses these considerations.

“I don’t care about anything. It doesn’t matter. Nothing else matters,” she tells The Times of Israel at a solidarity rally in Tel Aviv with the hostages and their families. “Nothing else should matter. This [getting the hostages back] is the only thing that should matter.”