Biden suggests Netanyahu is prolonging the war to stay in power: Live updates
They have reason to believe that significant progress has been made: Mr. Biden said he was sharing the outline of an Israeli proposal, which included language close to Hamas’ request for a permanent ceasefire, and At first, Hamas responded to the US president’s proposal. Reviews say it viewed them positively.
Now, four days later, the hostages’ families are increasingly concerned that the latest proposal will fail. Far-right members of the Israeli coalition threatened to overthrow the government if Israel agrees to end the war without overthrowing Hamas and Hamas have not officially agreed to the proposal shared by Mr. Biden.
The latest standoff has reinforced the feeling among relatives of the children that they are on a seemingly never-ending rollercoaster, a vicious cycle of holding out hope for a deal only to fail. hope again and again.
“It’s extremely frustrating to have to experience this yo-yo again,” said Lee Siegel, brother of Keith Siegel, a 65-year-old Israeli-American hostage. “With each passing day, it becomes exponentially more difficult to keep hope alive.”
Supporters of the hostages’ release have warned that living conditions are becoming more precarious, especially for the elderly and the sick. Without a deal, they worry that most hostages in Gaza will not be able to return to Israel alive.
“Everyone is afraid that they will get a call from the authorities saying that their family member was found dead.” According to Israel, Ms. Roman-Gat’s 40-year-old sister-in-law, Carmel Gat, is still detained in Gaza.
On Monday, the Israeli military announced that it had concluded that Four hostages died in the Khan Younis area many months ago.
The growing concerns of hostage families come as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is weighing whether to push the proposal forward on the negotiating table in the face of countervailing pressure: When the international community demands a ceasefire and Israel isolates itself further, his domestic right-wing allies, whose support he relies on to maintain power, reject any agreement that would lead to an end to the war without eliminating Hamas .
Another layer of pressure comes from the families of the hostages, but some have lost hope that protests in Israel will force Netanyahu to agree to a deal and believe that only relentless American pressure will make that happen.
“The United States should not leave Netanyahu’s side for even a second until he signs an agreement. Not for a second,” said Gilad Korngold, father of Tal Shoham, a 39-year-old hostage from northern Israel. “It is necessary.”
Mr. Korngold said three members of his family were killed on October 7 and six other abductees were released in a brief ceasefire in late November.
While Israeli officials said Mr. Biden’s proposal was generally in line with a new proposal approved by Israel’s war cabinet, Mr. Netanyahu ruled out ending the war without destroying it. Hamas’s administrative and military capabilities.
Mr. Biden said if Hamas complies with the proposal he made, it would eventually lead to a “permanent cessation of hostilities.”
However, Mr. Korngold said that the US government also needs to put resolute pressure on Hamas through Qatar to force them to approve an agreement.
“Hamas doesn’t say no, but it doesn’t say yes either,” he said. “It also has to get the message.”
Hamas officials stated that it was up to Israel to agree to a ceasefire and rejected US calls for the group to accept the proposal.
As time passed, Mr. Siegel said he became increasingly afraid for his brother because he was diagnosed with high blood pressure last year.
“His absence weighs on us every minute, every hour, every day,” he said. “Every day he’s not here could be his last.”
