Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son Sagui is still held captive in Gaza following Hamas’s attack in October 2023, made a desperate plea for a negotiated deal to secure the release of hostages. Speaking on ‘Fox & Friends’, Dekel-Chen stated, “It is absolutely clear, the only way to get hostages home alive is by some kind of negotiated agreement with Satan.” His words reflect the growing frustration and desperation of families with loved ones still in Hamas’s grasp. Dekel-Chen emphasized that the Israeli government has been prioritizing a military victory over securing the lives of its citizens, referencing the recent return of six bodies of hostages who had been murdered by Hamas. He called for an end to this “fantasy of total victory” and urged the Israeli leadership to prioritize a deal.
Meanwhile, President Biden and Vice President Harris met with the U.S. hostage negotiating team in the White House Situation Room on Monday morning. The meeting followed the discovery of six additional bodies of hostages, including American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, murdered by Hamas on Saturday. The White House stated that the meeting aimed to discuss strategies to push for a deal that would secure the release of the remaining hostages.
Protests erupted across Israel over the weekend, fueled by the frustration and anger of the Israeli people towards their government’s perceived failure to achieve a ceasefire and secure the release of the hostages. The protests, estimated to have involved hundreds of thousands of people, took place in major cities like Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The situation escalated on Monday with a general strike called by Israel’s largest labor union, Histadrut, in protest against the government’s handling of the conflict. The strike caused significant disruptions across the country, including at the Ben Gurion Airport.
Dekel-Chen expressed his gratitude for the support provided by the Biden administration and Congress in the effort to secure the release of the hostages. He acknowledged the efforts of the United States, along with Qatar and Egypt, to broker an agreement between Israel and Hamas. However, he stressed the need for “that last little push” to convince Hamas and the Israeli government to agree to a deal that would bring the hostages home.
He argued that the Israeli government’s focus on eliminating Hamas should not be a roadblock to a deal, emphasizing that Hamas has been significantly weakened and is no longer a major military threat. Dekel-Chen pointed out that the Israeli government’s insistence on a military victory is hindering the effort to secure the release of the hostages and that the primary focus should be on bringing the hostages home safely. He criticized the Israeli government’s position, stating that “the only resistance in Israel is from the government itself.”
The situation remains tense as families anxiously await the return of their loved ones, and the pressure on both the Israeli and American governments to secure the release of the hostages intensifies.
