Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was interrupted by family members of victims at a memorial event for October 7 Hamas attacks. Netanyahu stood motionless at the lectern during the ceremony in Jerusalem as audience members shouted, interrupting him for over a minute.
One audience member shouted, “My father was killed,” expressing grief and frustration as Netanyahu spoke. The outburst was to press Netanyahu’s administration to take stronger action in securing the release of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.
Many blame Netanyahu for the failures that led to Hamas attack and hold him responsible for not yet bringing home the remaining hostages held by the militant group in Gaza.
Currently, 97 hostages remain held by Hamas in Gaza, with 34 reported as deceased.
Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea is set to visit Doha for discussions aimed at negotiating a hostage release deal. The recent killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was considered an obstacle to such negotiations, may help open avenues for talks.
Earlier, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant acknowledged that military action alone might not be enough to bring home the hostages. “Not all objectives can be achieved through military operations alone,” Gallant said, adding that some “painful concessions” may be needed to fulfill Israel’s commitment to bring back the hostages.
