Hostage families from the Tikva Forum on Thursday responded to the proposed prisoner swap deal with Hamas, which would see all hostages returned early next week in exchange for 250 convicted terrorists serving life sentences and another 1,700 detainees.
"In these very moments, there are many families who have not yet received information about the fate of their loved ones," the Forum stated. "We wish to remind everyone that the comprehensive deal includes everyone - absolutely everyone."
"We understand the price that the Israeli public will pay for our loved ones. We have been careful throughout the entire journey not to pressure the State of Israel to surrender to Hamas' dictates.
"The State of Israel must do everything in order to prevent future kidnappings," the statement concluded.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, mastermind of the October 7 massacre, was released from prison in 2011 along with 1,026 other terrorists as part of the "Shalit deal," in which IDF soldier Gilad Shalit was released from Hamas captivity.
Several other "Shalit deal" terrorists have also returned to terror, as have terrorists released in the November 2023 and January 2025 prisoner swaps with Hamas.
Earlier on Thursday, Leah and Simcha Goldin, parents of IDF soldier Hadar Goldin who was murdered and his body kidnapped by Hamas, said that the war will not end until their son's body is returned to Israel for burial.
Hadar was killed during Operation Protective Edge in 2014; his body has still not been returned to Israel. The IDF recovered the body of Oron Shaul, a second soldier killed during the same operation, earlier this year.
"This war was born 11 years ago, when it was decided to leave hostages behind in Gaza," the Goldins said in a statement.
"Our Hadar symbolizes determination for a true victory, and until he is brought home, we are still at war. Israel has 28 deceased hostages without a solution, and we are standing guard. We call on the Israeli government to bring in search teams and bring everyone back before Hamas receives anything in exchange."