Mother of Israeli soldier held in Gaza says he is alive

The mother of Israeli soldier Oron Shaul, one of two captured during Israel’s major 2014 offensive on the Gaza Strip, has said that she has “solid” evidence that her son is alive, Quds Press reported on Friday.

Zehava Shaul told Maariv that the evidence received from the Israeli army does not prove that he was killed in the battle that took place to the east of the Gaza neighbourhood of Al-Shejaeia. “As a mother, I feel that my son is still alive, but I confirm that I do not depend only on this feeling; I have solid evidence that he is alive and I will make this evidence public in due course.” Mrs Shaul said that based on what Hamas has told her, and reports the movement handed over which indicated that her son is alive, she does not join mourning gatherings.

She accused the Israeli army of failing in the battle during which her son was lost. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knew about this failure, she claimed, but he wants to hide it. “However, I am planning to expose this failure.”

In the wake of the recent Israel-Turkey rapprochement over the Mavi Marmara Freedom Flotilla attack, the families of Oron Shaul and Hadar Golden have escalated their popular protests, calling for more effort to obtain the return of their sons.

On 1 April, Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, reiterated that Netanyahu tells lies to the Israelis and tries to deceive them regarding his claims that there are ongoing efforts to return the soldiers held in Gaza. A spokesman stressed that Israel would pay a “huge price” for the return of the Israelis held in Gaza, including the two soldiers.