The Hostages Families Forum has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce the existence of a deal during his speech to the US Congress today. The forum emphasized that without these words, there can be no victory or revival.
The forum stressed that these words are crucial for initiating a process of national healing, promoting mutual responsibility, and ending the abandonment and sacrifice of citizens whose safety has been compromised.
According to the forum, there are currently 120 hostages awaiting decisive government action to sign a deal that would facilitate the return of the living for rehabilitation and repatriate the deceased for proper burial in their homeland.
Many families of the hostages have expressed disappointment over Netanyahu's decision to travel to Washington DC instead of remaining in Israel to secure a deal. Yair Golan, the head of the opposition Labor party in Israel, criticized Netanyahu for his trip, stating that it was an extravagant show in the midst of a war without a concrete agreement to bring back the 120 hostages and assist the tens of thousands of internally displaced individuals in northern Israel.
Golan highlighted the missed opportunity for Netanyahu to ensure the safe return of the hostages and utilize military achievements to strengthen the Israeli Defense Forces and rebuild various regions of the country. Instead, Netanyahu extended his stay in the US and is scheduled to meet with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Florida on Friday before returning to Israel on Saturday.
