Hostage families urge Gantz and Eisenkot to 'remove obstacles in deal with Hamas'

On Monday, May 6, eighty relatives of the thirty abductees wrote a letter to Cabinet Ministers for Warfare Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, urging them to take action against what they perceive as obstacles obstructing a deal with Hamas, allegedly instigated by Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The letter, also endorsed by seven Israelis who were once held captive by Hamas, demanded transparency regarding negotiations with the militant group.

In their letter, they demanded Eisenkot and Gantz to conduct an urgent press conference to disclose the true status of talks with Hamas. They sought answers to pertinent questions: What occurred "behind the scenes" on Saturday when Netanyahu commented twice on the Rafah operation? How was a decision made not to send a delegation to Cairo for negotiations? And how has Netanyahu managed to thwart progress on the deal thus far?

"We, members of the families of the abducted, are appalled by the unfolding events. Netanyahu's deliberate interference is jeopardizing any chance of a resolution and condemning the abducted to their fate. The operation in Rafah has now become a death sentence for those kidnapped," the letter reads.

Accusing Gantz and Eisenkot of becoming pawns in Netanyahu's agenda, the relatives of the abductees reiterated that their continued presence in the government was predicated on their commitment to securing the return of the abducted individuals. "It is time to leave no stone unturned in bringing them back. It is time to dismantle all barriers that Netanyahu has placed in the way of a deal," the letter concludes.

Signed by former Hamas hostages Elena Trufanov, Irina Tatti, Guy and Rotem Calderon, Tamar Metzger, Ditza Heiman, Hana Katzir, and Ilana Gritzewsky, the letter underscores the urgency and gravity of the situation.