Ruhama Bohbot, the mother of hostage Elkana Bohbot, spoke out on Sunday in an interview with Kan, addressing the ongoing negotiations for the return of the hostages and voicing the growing public frustration over the absence of a comprehensive deal.
Throughout the interview, she insisted that the impasse is not due to Israeli reluctance but rather Hamas’s strategic calculations. "To put it simply, Hamas is not naive. They’re holding our loved ones to gain leverage — to get what they want, not what we want. It’s not complicated. They didn’t just kidnap people for no reason. They didn’t expect to capture so many, and even now, they continue trying to kidnap more. That’s their bargaining chip."
She expressed frustration over the lack of clarity surrounding the hostage negotiations. “This partial deal creates immense tension for the families. No one tells us who’s on the list. Sometimes we hear Hamas decides, other times it’s Israel. And didn’t Hamas choose the list of 33? No one is explaining the criteria. We don’t know if there will even be a second phase.”
Bohbot also voiced her disillusionment with international figures involved in the process. “I’ve lost faith in everyone — in Trump, in Witkoff. The only thing that gives me a bit of hope is that our delegation is still in Doha. But I truly don’t understand what anyone’s actual plan is.”