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Relatives Hostages Storm Israel Parliament

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – A group of relatives of Israelis held hostage by Hamas stormed a parliamentary committee session in Jerusalem, demanding that legislators and the government do more to free their loved ones who were kidnapped on October 7.

In the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, ushers stood by during the commotion in the finance committee. One lawmaker covered her face with her hands.

The panel chair, Moshe Gafni, the head of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party in Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, called a halt to the economic briefing underway and sought to calm a protester.

“Redeeming captives is the most important precept in Judaism, especially in this case, where there is an urgency to preserving life,” he said, but added: “Quitting the coalition would not achieve anything.”

Soon after the incident, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, pushed back on Monday following reports that a new release of Gaza hostages was underway.

He told relatives that Israel was taking an unspecified initiative in the absence of an offer by Hamas, condemned as a Palestinian Islamist terrorist organization by Israel.

“There is no real proposal by Hamas. It’s not true,” he stressed in a statement.

INCORRECT STATEMENTS

“I am saying this as clearly as I can because there are so many incorrect statements which are certainly agonizing for you,” Netanyahu added. “Conversely, there is an initiative on our part, on which I shall not elaborate.”

Netanyahu’s government says an Israeli offensive launched in retaliation for the October 7 cross-border Hamas killings of about 1,200 people and kidnappings of nearly 250 others is aimed at crushing Hamas and pressuring the kidnappers to release hostages on “acceptable terms.”

But many of the relatives and their supporters worry the hostages may be killed. Last week Hamas released a video purportedly showing the human remains of Yossi Sharabi, 53, and 38-year-old Itai Svirsky.

A third hostage, Noa Argamani, 26, said in the video that they died due to attacks by their “own” Israeli forces in Gaza.

And on Sunday, Israel’s military announced the death of 19-year-old Sergeant Shay Levinson, who was among the hostages. His date of death was given as October 7 but there were no further details. Israeli media said his body is still in Gaza.

They were among about 240 people being kidnapped more than 100 days ago by Hamas fighters.

Around half of the hostages were released during a short-lived November truce, but Israel says 132 remain in Gaza and that at least 25 have died in captivity.

In recent days, thousands gathered in Tel Aviv to remember Kfir Bibas, who marked “the saddest birthday in the world” on Thursday as the youngest hostage being held by Hamas in Gaza turned one year old.

TAKEN AWAY

The baby boy was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, when he was nine months old, alongside his parents, Yarden and Shiri, and his four-year-old brother Ariel.

It is not clear whether Kfir and his family are still alive. Hamas claimed that Kfir, his brother, and his mother were killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Over the more than three months of the Gaza war, Kfir Bibas’s face has become known around the world as about a quarter of his life has been held captive by Hamas.

Nine-year-old Emily Hand, released on November 26, wrote, “I hope you get out of there as soon as possible. I understand the feeling because I was there, too. Sending you hugs and love.”

Yet without a breakthrough in talks, domestic and international pressure grows on Israel’s government to make concessions.

On Monday, the British prime minister’s official spokesperson said Britain was “disappointed” to hear of Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Britain vowed to continue its support for a two-state solution in the Middle East.

Yet Netanyahu says a Palestinian state would threaten Israel’s security following the October 7 attack, the worst single atrocity in modern-day Israel’s over 75-year history.