Short On Patience: Families Of ‘Israeli’ Detainees Blast Government Inaction At ‘Tel Aviv’ Rally
By Staff, Agencies
The families of most of the 224 ‘Israeli’ detainees held by Palestinian Hamas resistance movement in Gaza held a press conference Thursday to protest the government inaction and failure to update them on the efforts to secure the release of their loved ones, warning that their patience had run out.
The event at the ‘Tel Aviv’ Museum Plaza began with two marches from Egypt’s embassy and at Kaplan Square — the site of weekly protests against the current government’s highly controversial ‘judicial’ overhaul plan, which along with the regular rallies has been shelved since the shock October 7 Hamas dealt to the occupation entity in which more than 200 ‘Israelis’ were detained and taken to Gaza.
“Free them now!” the families chanted in English.
“They’ve been there for 20 days. Twenty days in which we’ve had no idea how they’re doing, how they’re being treated, if they’re okay, if they’re breathing. Twenty days. Can you imagine? Because we’re living it day after day, all of us,” said Meirav Leshem-Gonen, whose 23-year-old daughter Romi was detained.
“We’ve been very, very patient. But that’s it. Our patience is up. Our patience has run out,” she added.
Similar dissatisfaction was expressed by Eyal Eshel, whose 19-year-old daughter Roni had been a member of the ‘Israeli’ military communications team that watched the Gaza border cameras before the barrier and her base were breached and she went missing.
“What have you been doing every day? What are doing all day? I’m demanding one thing — get up from your chairs, try to put yourselves in my place and take responsibility. Don’t turn your back on me. All of us are out of patience,” he addressed the government.
Some participants took aim at the government’s point-person on the matter of the detainees, Gal Hirsch, who has been criticized by diplomats as ineffective in talks thus far and who families say has failed to contact them beyond the bare minimum.
The Zionist government is facing mounting pressure not just from the families of detainees but from countries abroad whose citizens are also among those being held in Gaza and have privately been urging the ‘Tel Aviv’ regime to temporarily delay a ground invasion to allow more time for diplomatic efforts to release the detainees, The Times of ‘Israel’ cited a senior diplomatic official as saying earlier this week.
