Nearly 140,000 Israelis signed petitions demanding return of captives from Gaza, ending war
Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich drew fire from families of hostages in Gaza on Monday after saying that the return of captives was not the most important thing for Israel.
"The families have no words this morning except shame," the Hostage Families Forum said in a statement.
The families said that Smotrich's comments indicate that the Israeli government has "deliberately decided to give up the hostages."
"Smotrich – history will remember how you closed your heart to your brothers and sisters in captivity and chose not to save them," the statement said.
The extremist minister said on several occasions that the return of Israeli hostages from Gaza was not a top priority for the government.
Israeli estimates suggest that 59 captives remain in Gaza, with 24 believed to be alive. In contrast, over 9,500 Palestinians remain imprisoned in Israel under harsh conditions, including reports of torture, starvation, and medical neglect, according to both Palestinian and Israeli rights organizations.
Nearly 140,000 Israelis, including military figures, have signed petitions demanding the return of captives from Gaza and ending the war in the enclave.
More than 51,200 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
