Families of hostages held in Gaza called for a general strike on Saturday and urged the public to join their struggle to save their loved ones and bring them home after the cabinet decided on a full-scale occupation of the Strip, regardless of the risk to the hostages.
Vicki Cohen, whose son Nimrod has been held captive since his abduction during the Oct. 7 massacre and who was supposed to complete his military service last week, said ministers decided to knowingly give up on him and the rest of the hostages. She called for Israelis to join her. "Why is the economy operating as usual? Why is there no strike? The silence is killing me," she said.
Matan Angrest abducted during the Hamas Oct. 7 massacre
"Mothers, friends, business and labor leaders, this is not only our struggle. Will you stand with us when we call for a strike?" asked Anat Angrest, the mother of Matan, who is also still held by Hamas in Gaza. She said the cabinet's decision will come at the cost of her son's life.
"Six hostages who were alive were murdered exactly one year ago when military pressure was increased and troops approached the tunnel they were being held in. Do we now expect a different outcome?" she asked in a conversation with Ynet. "The cabinet's decision is a death sentence for those who are still there."
Noam, the daughter of Chaim Peri, who was abducted to Gaza and murdered by the terrorists, said that Defense Minister Israel Katz promised her when he was heading the Foreign Ministry that releasing the hostages was the primary goal. "Since he became Defense Minister, he forgot all about it," she said.
Security officials said on Saturday that the cabinet's decision does not mean an immediate assault on central Gaza and that preparations would take until October. "That's a long time in Middle East terms," the officials said, adding that the decision allows for changes and there is an expectation that negotiations would resume.
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"It seems like [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu was playing for time to preserve his coalition," they said.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits an IDF induction center earlir in the week
(Photo: GPO)
Sources close to Hamas said on Saturday that there are intensive talks with Israel through the mediation of the U.S., Egypt and Qatar, to prevent Israeli occupation of the Strip.
According to the sources, a proposal being discussed includes an end to the war, a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and the release of all of the hostages. The proposal also includes the disarming of the Palestinian factions, the removal of senior members of the military wing of Hamas from Gaza and the establishment of a civilian administration that would take control of the Strip.
"Hamas has expressed flexibility in the negotiations, but has also said it was prepared for the fighting to resume if its position is rejected.