‘If Matan returns in a bag, I will ensure Netanyahu charged with murder,’ Zangauker pledges
Israelis will demonstrate in the evening against the IDF’s upcoming incursion into Gaza City, calling for an immediate ceasefire deal.
Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, said, at Begin Gate in Tel Aviv on Saturday, in a message to the prime minister, that if her son returns in a body bag, she will ensure that he is charged with premeditated murder.
“According to a senior security official, my Matan could have been home already last week,” Zangauker said. “The government of Israel and its leader put a partial outline for a deal on the table and decided to torpedo it at the last minute a month ago. Every time we face a new false spin from Netanyahu.”
Israelis will demonstrate in the evening against the IDF’s upcoming incursion into Gaza City, calling for an immediate ceasefire deal. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum argues that military pressure kills hostages. “History is repeating itself! Forty-two of our brothers and sisters were kidnapped alive and murdered in captivity – we must not reach hostage number 43,” the forum said.
At the end of July, Hamas had informed mediators that it would not enter negotiations with Israel until the humanitarian situation in Gaza improved. Hamas cut off contact, an Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post at the time. A day earlier, the Post reported that Israel has issued a formal response to a position paper sent by Hamas several days ago, where Israeli officials made it clear they reject Hamas’s demand to release live terrorists in exchange for the bodies of hostages.
Hamas misled Israel in hostage talks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed in mid-August during a press conference with Israeli media. Hamas demanded the release of Nukhba terrorists, demanded binding international guarantees not to return to fighting, and demanded Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip, including from the Philadelphi Corridor. The prime minister argued that no government would accept such a deal.
An illustrative photo of Hamas terrorists with hostage demonstrations in the background. (credit: Miriam Alster/Flash90, Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa)
Hamas has since expressed interest in a partial deal; however, Israel has insisted that it will only agree to a comprehensive deal in which all 49 remaining hostages are released from captivity.
Netanyahu, ministers to blame, Hamas interested in a deal
“Hamas is interested in a deal. More than a week ago, it gave its consent to Witkoff’s terms, and only Netanyahu refuses to send a negotiating team and sign a deal,” Yehuda Cohen, hostage Nimrod Cohen’s father, said at Begin Gate. “Why hasn’t Israel discussed the proposal yet since Hamas’ response? There is one person who stands against the will and interest of the people – his name is Benjamin Netanyahu, and he is afraid of two things: the extremists in his government and public pressure.”
“While my son is fighting for his life in captivity and an entire nation is struggling to bring him out of there, the government intends to conquer the Strip and gamble on his life and on the lives of the living hostages, to erase the fallen forever, and to gamble as well on our heroic soldiers,” Itzik Horn, father of hostage Eitan Horn said at Begin Gate.
“Sitting in the government and the cabinet is a group of deranged people, and every citizen in Israel must ask whether these people are worthy of making decisions about their fate.”
Amichai Stein contributed to this report.
