Anat Angrest, the mother of kidnapped soldier Matan Angrest, wrote Saturday on the social media platform X that she had received a phone call the previous day warning that her son was in “immediate life-threatening danger.”
Ahead of protests planned for Saturday evening in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and dozens of other locations, she addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Israeli forces expand operations in Gaza City. “Prime minister, did you sleep last night? Because I just went through my 700th sleepless night,” she wrote.
(Video: Reuters)
“My Matan is in immediate life-threatening danger, that’s what I was told yesterday on the phone,” she continued. “That’s why tonight I will come to your doorstep together with tens of thousands of Israelis. It will be noisy, like the blasts Matan hears. You will no longer have peace from me. That’s over.”
Vicky Cohen, the mother of kidnapped soldier Nimrod Cohen, who is co-leading the Jerusalem protest with Angrest, also referred to Israel’s expanding Gaza operation. “My Nimrod is in immediate life-threatening danger because of a decision you made,” she wrote. “That’s why tonight I will come to your doorstep with tens of thousands of Israelis. It will be noisy, like the blasts Nimrod hears on your mission. Get earplugs, because Nimrod doesn’t have any.”
On Friday night, U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the hostage issue. “There are more than 30 bodies in the negotiations,” Trump said. “We are holding talks to get them out — the parents want them so much, as if they were alive. It’s a sad situation. I see large demonstrations about the hostages, and it puts Israel in a tough situation. I’ve never seen anything like it, the level of love they have for their children.”
He repeated that “much better things will happen” to Hamas if it releases the hostages. “If they don’t come out, it will be a tough situation. Nasty. That’s my opinion. That’s Israel’s choice. I’ve always said that when we get to the last 20, they won’t release them. Everyone should come out, not two at a time. The negotiations are happening right now.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of Israelis held in Gaza, issued a statement expressing deep concern. “This operation in Gaza City places our loved ones in immediate and direct danger, after 700 days of suffering in Hamas tunnels,” the statement read. “Tragically, no plan has been presented to protect them or ensure that Operation Gideon’s Chariots II will not become a massacre. Forty-eight of our loved ones face the risk of murder and disappearance forever in Gaza’s ruins.”
The families condemned the military’s decision to cooperate with what they called “an unnecessary war,” saying the army chief of staff himself believes the same objectives can be achieved without endangering the hostages and soldiers. “What didn’t work in Gideon’s Chariots I will not work in part II, nor in part VII,” the statement said. “There is an agreement on the table. That agreement will bring back the last hostage. That agreement will end the war. We demand the prime minister, the defense minister and the chief of staff meet us urgently and explain how they intend to ensure our loved ones are not harmed by the operation. We demand immediate negotiations, based on the Witkoff framework, to achieve a comprehensive deal that will bring everyone home.”
The forum added thanks to Trump and his envoy Steve Witkoff for their “determination, courage and compassion” in advancing negotiations. “Special thanks to President Trump, who is making every effort to keep his promise to bring them home,” the families said. “True leadership is measured by courageous decisions. We are confident that Trump and Witkoff will faithfully represent Israel’s interests in the negotiations and bring all sides to a comprehensive agreement.”