JNS
The negotiating team was set to return to Jerusalem after a "significant" week of hostage talks with Hamas in Qatar, the Prime Minister's Office said.
The Israeli negotiating team was set to return to Jerusalem on Tuesday night after a "significant" week of indirect hostage talks with Hamas terrorists in Qatar, the Prime Minister's Office said.
The team, which included senior officials of the Israel Defense Forces, Mossad and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), is flying back for "internal consultations regarding the continuation of the talks for the return of our hostages," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stated.
On Monday evening, Netanyahu met with the families of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza at his Knesset office in Jerusalem.
The relatives of some of the 100 captives gifted the premier a special Chanukah menorah ahead of the Jewish holiday, which runs from Dec. 25 until Jan. 2.
Present at the meeting were Shai Dikman, a cousin of the late Carmel Gat; Hadassah Lazar, the sister of captive Shlomo Mansour; and Machbit Meir, the aunt of the captive twins Gali and Zivi Berman.
Also on Monday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog hosted Farhan al-Qadi, a Muslim Bedouin Israeli rescued from Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces in August. Also attending the meeting at the President's Residence in Jerusalem was Malki Shem Tov, the father of captive Omer Shem Tov.
"For 444 days, over 50 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage in Iran in 1979-1981. The world held its breath for their safe return. Today, 100 innocent Israelis—men, women, and children—remain hostages in Gaza. They have also now endured 444 days in captivity without basic humanitarian aid, medicine, or visits from the Red Cross. This must end. Bring them home!" tweeted Herzog.
"Today I hosted Farhan al-Qadi, a Muslim Bedouin citizen of Israel who was freed by the IDF four months ago, and Malki Shem Tov, the father of Omer who is still cruelly being held in Hamas captivity. Their shocking stories underscore the urgent need to bring everyone home. This is a moral imperative," the president continued.
Shem Tov, who turned 22 in October, was kidnapped from the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re'im during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in the northwestern Negev. He was taken along with friends Itay Regev, 18, and Maya Regev, 21.
The Regev siblings were released on Nov. 29, 2023, but Omer remains in Gaza.
Eyal Kalderon, whose cousin Ofer Kalderon was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7 and is still being held in Gaza, told JNS at the Knesset on Monday that in his opinion, Hamas is holding up a hostage-release deal.
“In the last couple of days, I received a lot of negative reactions from people with regards to the hostage negotiations. I think it’s a repeat of all the prior negotiation rounds," he said. "I think there is a pattern where in the beginning there is optimism and once difficulties come up, Hamas backs away,” he added.
“We are at the point of difficulties right now and I can see where this is going. I am very concerned,” he added.
Eyal came to the Knesset accompanied by other hostages' families of hostages to distribute to lawmakers Chanukah menorahs adorned with the symbolic yellow ribbon logo. The Chanukah holiday, which lasts eight days, begins this year on Dec. 25.
“We can stand on our demands but Hamas is holding our families. We are the side that has something to lose. Hamas doesn’t care about life. They are a society that cherishes death. We value life and that’s why we need to do everything to bring them home,” Eyal said.
“Look at all our achievements in Gaza. Is it not enough to agree to a ceasefire and bring everybody back,” he added.
Eyal told JNS that he obviously wants a deal where all 100 hostages come back simultaneously “in one bus” but does not believe it is possible.
“ I want a deal that includes everybody even if it’s in phases. If we don’t start, we won’t end it. We must bring everybody home in a very short timeframe. Even the deceased do not have time left. We will not know where they are. We will not find them if we wait,” Eyal said.
The last time Eyal received a sign of life from his cousin was over a year ago, when two hostages released as part of a weeklong ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that freed 105 people revealed they had seen Ofer.
