Families of hostages held by Hamas since the Oct. 7 terrorist attack have reported receiving threats and demands in calls, some of which have come from their captive loved ones’ phones.
Israeli news outlet N12 reported that families have received messages that order them to “fight the government” or “you won’t see your loved ones return” in addition to ransom requests. The families turned over the information to Israeli intelligence agency Shin Bet, according to The Jerusalem Post.
An initial investigation has determined that those sending the messages are either of Iranian origin or affiliated with Hamas.
As many as 109 hostages remain in Hamas custody in the Gaza Strip, but some are believed to be dead, according to Israel Today.
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The hostage situation remains a source of frustration for the American and Israeli governments as families grow increasingly desperate almost a full year after the attack and kidnappings. Both Democrats and Republicans featured hostage families at their conventions this year and made strong statements about foreign policy that focused on Israel.
The Republicans featured the parents of Omer Neutra, a 22-year-old hostage who was manning a base near Kibbutz Nir Oz when he was taken captive. Neutra grew up in Plainview, N.Y., on Long Island before he moved to Israel and joined the Israeli Defense Forces.
The Neutra family spoke about their support from former President Donald Trump, who they said “called us personally right after the attack when Omer was taken captive,” assuring that “he stands with our American hostages,” according to the Jewish Journal.
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The Democrats in turn featured the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old hostage taken from the Nova Music Festival. During the introduction at the convention, attendees chanted, “Bring them home!”
“The families of the eight American hostages meet every few weeks in Washington,” Jon Polin, the hostage’s father, told the crowd. “We’re heartened that both Democratic and Republican leaders demonstrate their bipartisan support for our hostages being released.”
“We’ve met with President Biden and Vice President Harris numerous times at the White House,” Polin said. “They’re both working tirelessly for a hostage and cease-fire deal that will bring our precious children, mothers, fathers, spouses, grandparents and grandchildren home, and will stop the despair in Gaza. We are all deeply grateful to them.”
The Biden administration this week made what it touted as “constructive” progress in negotiations for a cease-fire, which would include the release of hostages. Israel and Hamas remain divided on a few key points – most notably the Hamas push to include Israel releasing several prisoners as well as disagreement on how to treat the corridors and crossings between Gaza and its neighbors.
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Negotiators reportedly created an “acceptable” update to the proposal that Egyptian authorities said they would pass along to Hamas representatives, though some have cast doubt on Hamas potentially agreeing to the deal as-is.
“The Philadelphi Corridor … is the lifeline of Hamas … they smuggled in machinery [to Gaza to make weaponry],” IDF MG (ret.) Yaakov Amidror said during a Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) situational update this week.
“Israel cannot allow this to happen again,” said Amidror, who also serves as a JINSA Distinguished Fellow. “This is imperative … what [is being discussed] is how to square the circle … if a solution can be found … we might have an agreement. I’m not sure Hamas will be ready [to accept this].”