Shaul family and supporters blocking aid from getting into the Gaza strip
Parents of kidnapped soldier to block Gaza aid
As a Turkish ship bringing aid to the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip nears Israeli shores as a part of the Israel-Turkey reconciliation agreement, parents of Oron Shaul plan on blocking the Kerem Shalom crossing into the strip until the remains their son and of Hadar Goldin are returned
The parents of Oron Shaul - whose body was snatched by Hamas during Operation Protective Edge -
alongside other members of the family are planning to block the Kerem Shalom goods crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
The Shauls and the Goldins have criticized the Israeli government for not making the return of the bodies a part of the reconciliation agreement with Turkey as Turkey has close political relations with Hamas. Hamas has a headquarters in Istanbul.
They are planning to protest and block humanitarian aid shipments into Gaza as long as their son's remains and the remains of Hadar Goldin are held in Hamas captivity.
Turkish aid ship on its way to the Port of Ashdod
Meanwhile, a Turkish aid ship is expected to dock in the port of Ashdod with a humanitarian shipment destined for the Hamas controlled enclave on Sunday as part of the framework of the Israel-Turkish reconciliation agreement.
Shaul's parents said that while the Turks will receive benefits and greater ease in providing aid to Gaza from the Israeli government, there has been no development regarding the return of the bodies of the two fallen soldiers.
The parents added that they have asked the prime minister and the other ministers involved in the issue to have the bodies returned immediately.
Oron Shaul
"There is nothing more humanitarian than releasing the captured bodies of our sons in exchange for giving benefits to Gaza. It needs to be two concurrent humanitarian gestures," said Oron Shaul's parents.
"Unilateral steps don't work, and we can not continue to abandon IDF soldiers who have been held in Gaza for two years since Operation Protective Edge," the parents continued. "We aren't against the agreement or aid reaching Gaza, but we believe that this agreement was a chance to release our boys. For this to happen the Israeli government and its leadership must make sure that this condition (the release of the bodies –ed) appears as a central component to the reconciliation agreement."
