The families of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, on Wednesday set out on a march in Tel Aviv calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring about the release of the captives immediately.
After reports that the delegation to the talks would not be leaving as planned on Thursday to meet with mediators negotiating a cease-fire in Gaza in exchange for the release of the hostages, the families planned to hold a vigil during Netanyahu's speech to a joint session of Congress.
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Families of hostages gather outside U.S. Embassy building in Tel Aviv
(Photo: Kobi Koankes)
The families have claimed that the prime minister has repeatedly refused any deal that would bring hostages home, to preserve his coalition after his far-right coalition partners threatened to resign if Netanyahu agreed to any deal that would end the fighting.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said last week that the proposal authored by Netanyahu and agreed to by the United States was possible and should be finalized. Security officials also said the conditions were ripe for a deal to bring hostages home.
But Netanyahu has thus far refused to send the negotiating delegation to meet with mediators to advance an agreement.
"He appears to have been spooked by Ben-Gvir," Einav Zangauker, the mother of Matan who has been held hostage for nearly 10 months, said. She has been an outspoken critic of Netanyahu and has accused him of sacrificing her son and the remaining hostages for his political survival. "It is unbearable that nine months after the failure, his coalition is more important than my son's life and the rest of the captives who were abandoned by him," she said.
"Hostages are dying in captivity and Netanyahu will be celebrating his son's birthday instead of saving them. Their blood is on his hands," she said.
Ahead of his trip, the families called on Netanyahu not to travel until he secures a deal.
On Monday, the IDF informed the families of Alex Danzig, 76, from Nir Oz, and Yagev Buchshtab, 35, from Nirim, that the men were killed several months ago in Gaza, and that their bodies were being held by Hamas.