“The Israeli government must leverage the IDF achievements to bring [about the implementation of] the Netanyahu hostage deal, which was supported by President Biden.
“The hostages do not have more time for another cycle of violence,” Ruby Chen, father of hostage Itay, said following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh Wednesday morning.
Chen, whose son Itay was a soldier reportedly killed on October 7 and whose body has been held captive in Gaza, said that the families of hostages support the IDF in its activities and actions to protect the state of Israel.
“There cannot be total victory without the release of all the [remaining] 115 hostages in Gaza,” he added. “The living need rehabilitation, and the deceased need a proper burial.”
Shimon Or, the uncle of Avinatan Or who was taken hostage along with his partner Noa Argamani who was later rescued by IDF forces, had a different reaction to the assassination.
“I don’t have concerns about how Hamas will respond because I don’t care what Hamas thinks,” said Shimon, who is a member of the Hope Forum.
Shimon explained that he is no more concerned for Avinatan’s well-being Wednesday than he was the day prior to the assassination because he places no faith in Hamas or its actions.
“I know that Hamas does not want to return the hostages regardless of Haniyeh, and so as far as I am concerned, [Hamas] is not a legitimate source on which to determine The State of Israel’s actions.”
“My opinion is that The State of Israel must bring back the hostages by itself, and not depend on a deal, or anything that comes from negotiations with Hamas,” he added. This is because Hamas is not interested in returning the hostages, “and so it will not return them,” he added
He hoped that the assassination will lead to a strategy of refusing to talk to Hamas, saying that the country will not get the hostages back through dealing with Hamas.
“If we talk to Hamas, Gazans will understand that Hamas is continuing to be a dominant leader in Gaza, and we will not get the hostages.”
Removing Hamas’s power will enable Israel to possibly return the hostages through ways that it had not previously considered as Hamas’ control crumbles. “The assassination can be leveraged into the start of a new strategy,” which does not include negotiation with Hamas, he said.
Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, also reacted to news of the assassination, saying, “The elimination of Haniyeh must not lead to the elimination of a deal and sentence our loved ones in captivity to death.”
“The place of the heads of the monstrous Hamas is in hell, and we are all in favor of settling scores with them for their actions,” she said.
‘Bring back those you abandoned’
“The 115 hostages are out of time, and so especially now, we must translate operational success into a diplomatic move that will save lives and bring everyone back.”
Zangauker called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “bring back those you abandoned,” saying that this is his first responsibility.
“Accept the deal without new conditions and without unnecessary hurdles.”
“After 300 days, this nightmare must end. I deserve to get my Matan back with a hug, and the other families deserve their dear ones back.”
Udi Goren, whose cousin Tal Haimi was murdered and kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, explained his feelings following the assassination. “I have no choice but to always chose to believe that things are going to be better than they are. Because for ten months [the hostages] have not come back and, because they must come back and will come back, I have to believe that every step brings us closer.”
“Now I can certainly see how this assassination would put more pressure on Hamas on the one hand, leaving [Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya] Sinwar alone in the war and making him understand that we are going after him, and that he has achieved the best he can achieve,” said Goren.
“On the other hand, this is certainly a significant enough blow to Hamas to be a meaningful image of victory for Israel,” he added, explaining that while Israel’s military goals for the war have moved forward, the goal of returning the hostages has not advanced.
“So after this blow, we have a victory, we have Haniyeh’s head, now is the time to bring back the hostages.”
The hostages coming home are only part of a hostage deal, said Goren, adding that a deal would enable Israel to move forward – to bring soldiers home, reservists back to their families, allow some evacuees to go home and enable Israel to start to heal.
The hostage family forum also responded to the assassination, congratulating the IDF on the “important focused assassinations” of the last few days and weeks and the military achievements of the last ten months.
“Israel has significant security achievements, but The State of Israel must remember that victory cannot be reached without using these achievements to bring all the hostages home,” the forum said.
“That is the purpose of the war. That is the highest moral and national goal,” it added.
The forum also called on Israel’s government to advance the hostage deal as presented by US President Joe Biden, which they call “Netanyahu’s Deal.”
The Hope Forum, a forum of some hostage families who have pushed for more military pressure against Hamas, congratulated Israel’s decision-makers on the assassination.
“The assassination of Hamas senior officials is an important step in pressuring Hamas to bring our loved ones home,” said the forum.
“In order for Hamas to return them to us, the leadership of Hamas and the whole senior echelon must feel the heavy price they will pay in the future for holding the hostages.”
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