Angry relatives of Israelis held by Hamas in Gaza, along with recently released hostages, confronted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a meeting on Tuesday, with some calling for his resignation, according to reports.
Reuven Yablonka, whose son Hanan is still captive, described chaos and yelling at the meeting, where some representatives walked out as Netanyahu read prepared remarks. Released hostages reportedly described mental and physical abuse, including sexual assault, during their captivity.
Netanyahu was recorded saying that freeing all hostages in a single deal was impossible. “If we could have done it, we would have,” he reportedly said. The meeting also saw challenges over Israeli tactics, including plans to flood Hamas tunnels with seawater, which some relatives said endangered hostages.
Dani Miran, whose son Omri is held, walked out, calling the meeting an “ugly, insulting, messy performance.” Netanyahu later stated he had heard allegations of sexual abuse and brutal rape from returned hostages. Currently, 138 people remain captive in Gaza.
