Shimon Or, uncle of kidnapped soldier Avinatan Or, issued a passionate appeal Monday to Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman MK Yuli Edelstein, urging him to block the emerging deal for the release of just ten hostages.
Or sharply opposed the partial deal, warning it could cost many IDF soldiers their lives. “You decided not to give up on toppling Hamas because it threatens all of Israel—so how can you agree to this murder deal?” he asked Edelstein. “If we pull all the IDF out, as Hamas demands, the number of fallen soldiers will be at least four times greater.”
He lamented the lack of public advocacy for soldiers, claiming that in public perception, one hostage outweighs dozens of fallen IDF soldiers. “There’s no lobbying for IDF troops,” he said. “In the public eye, another 40 or 50 fallen doesn’t make noise—but one hostage does.”
“You’re supposed to be the voice of the soldiers,” Or continued. “You should be banging on the table and saying: ‘This can’t happen.’ Either stop the war or issue an ultimatum for all the hostages. This deal is more dangerous than what we face now—and you remain silent.”
He pleaded with Edelstein to oppose the deal as firmly as he had fought on the issue of military conscription. As a form of protest, Or even suggested halting reserve duty calls. “You’re sending them to die—on the altar of public opinion?” he asked.
Or also cited a reported promise by hostage coordinator Gal Hirsch, who allegedly assured the family that negotiations for the remaining hostages would begin immediately after the release of the first ten. “Do you understand what that means?” he asked.
He concluded with a direct warning: “If you stay silent, we’ll hold you responsible too. It’s not too late—stop this now, make one deal with an ultimatum, and bring them all home.”