London, MINA – Yehuda Cohen, father of Israeli hostage Nimrod Cohen, publicly condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on Monday due to growing concerns over the status of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations.
Speaking at the Israeli embassy in London, Cohen accused Netanyahu of “stalling” the deal with Hamas, which he believes is crucial for the safe return of his son and other hostages.
He emphasized that the families are relying on international support rather than the Israeli government’s efforts, stating,
“It is really upsetting that the hostages count on Americans and other foreign governments, not the Israeli government,” said Cohen as quoted from Independent on Tuesday.
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The Israeli occupation army has escalated its attacks across Gaza since Sunday, shortly after the expiry of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The occupation regime has also halted the entry of humanitarian aid in Gaza as Netanyahu refused to start negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire deal.
The agreement halted Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza temporarily on 19 January. The occupation state has killed almost 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.
Israel estimates that 59 captives are still held in Gaza, with at least 20 of them alive. They were expected to be set free in the second phase of the ceasefire, which would also have required Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza fully and end the war permanently. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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