London relatives of pensioners kidnapped by Hamas in Israel told how their elderly parents were forced from their beds and taken to Gaza as hostages.
Noam Sagi, whose 75-year-old mother, Ada, along with Sharone Lifschitz’s mum and dad, aged 83 and 85, were kidnapped as squads of heavily-armed Hamas gunmen launched terror attacks across southern Israel.
The British-Israelis spoke out to highlight the desperate plight of 17 Britons, including children, are dead or missing - while at the London press conference it was revealed a six-month-old baby is among captives.
As Israel’s war with Hamas escalates with retaliatory rockets pounding the Gaza Strip and infrastructure cut off for Palestinians living there, what are next steps for military strategy - and what's the specialist squad examining rescue plans for around 150 hostages?
It comes as British Airways joined international airlines announcing suspension of flights to and from Israel over safety concerns.
For in-depth analysis on the hostage crisis and military strategy of both Israel and Hamas, the Leader podcast is joined by Evening Standard defence editor Robert Fox.
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