Israeli captive’s father slams Netanyahu amid uncertainty over Gaza ceasefire

The father of an Israeli captive slammed the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday amid uncertainty over the fate of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, Anadolu has reported.

“We are at the height of the negotiations, and we are exercising power that could cost us the hostages,” Alon Nimrodi, the father of Israeli captive Tamir Nimrodi, told Army Radio.

“We have done this in the past and lost dozens of them,” said Nimrodi senior. “It is really upsetting that the hostages count on Americans and other foreign governments, not the Israeli government that disagrees with us on this matter. This is mind-boggling.”

The Israeli 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.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defence 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.

READ: 2 Gazans killed, 3 injured by Israel army fire despite ceasefire