Families of hostages being held in Gaza on Sunday night gave a statement outside the Prime Minister's residence, where they had set up tents, and announced that they will remain in place and continue their protest for the return of the hostages.
Gabriela Leimberg, who was freed from Hamas captivity and whose brother and sister-in-law are still being held by the terrorist organization, said, "Mr. Prime Minister, my name is Gabriela Leimberg and I was released after 53 days from Hamas captivity. It is not a cliché when we say that their time is running out, I stand here and can testify - every day in captivity is hell and I don't wish anyone to experience even one hour of this hell."
"The soldiers and the hostages were abandoned on your watch and it's time to save us as a society. In a democratic country. This is your first duty. Look at me, one of the citizens of the country you head, who was suddenly kidnapped for no reason on October 7. Is there a price for my life? For the lives of the hostages?" added Leimberg.
Orin Gantz, mother of the late Eden Zecharya who was murdered in Hamas captivity, added, "My daughter was kidnapped on October 7 and on December 12 I received her as a body. My daughter didn't just die, she died on the watch of each and every one of us, and we have to ask ourselves: What are we doing to bring back the other hostages? Each of us has to ask this all the time. They have no time, there is no tomorrow in captivity! I experienced it firsthand. Cabinet and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, we trust you! There is no one else who can return them, only you."
Gilad Korngold, father of Tal Shoham who is being held in Gaza, noted that "for the past three weeks, every day we have a new murdered hostage. In the end we will have to pay a very heavy price for the bodies as well, after all, Hamas is a champion in the trafficking of bodies. We understand the situation the hostages are in because the IDF each time exposes another tunnel where they were kept and we all see in the photos how bad the conditions of confinement are."
"I appeal to the Prime Minister: During your time it will be recorded, for the first time in the history of the State of Israel, that a Prime Minister neglected 136 hostages. Do you want to be the first to abandon soldiers who gave their lives to the country, to abandon innocent hostages? You must fulfill any deal and return them immediately otherwise it will be remembered forever," he added.