Ahead of a Monday meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, bereaved families from Hagvura Forum dispatched a letter to Trump, urging him to continue standing by Israel’s side.
"Only a policy of zero tolerance and a decisive response will establish true deterrence and guarantee the safety of our citizens and soldiers," the Forum stressed.
The letter represents approximately two hundred bereaved families, who appealed to Trump requesting that he not compel the State of Israel to transition to "Phase B" of the Gaza ceasefire plan without the total destruction of Hamas and the return of the fallen soldier Ran Gvili, who is the last hostage still held in Gaza.
In the letter, the Forum's families emphasize their expectation that the US administration ensures Hamas fulfills every one of its obligations. They also rejected any intervention by an international force to oversee security in the Gaza Strip, demanding that the IDF remain the sole authority protecting Israel's borders from the Jordan River to the Sea.
"Our sons went into battle with a profound sense of mission, shielding the homeland with their bodies," the families wrote in their letter to President Trump.
"In their passing, our loved ones left us a clear command: absolute victory and the assurance of Israel's security for generations to come. In anticipation of your upcoming meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, we seek to present the fundamental principles that constitute the moral and security bedrock of our existence-principles written in the blood of our loved ones," the letter continued.
"First and foremost, we expect the American administration to insist that the Hamas terror organization fulfills its part in any emerging agreement. It is inconceivable that Israel should progress with an agreement while the opposing side violates its commitments to the US administration. In this context, we naturally demand that Hamas immediately return the body of the Yasam officer, Ran Gvili as it committed to do.
"Our loved ones fell in battle for one clear purpose: the destruction of Hamas and its military capabilities. Any diplomatic progress or transition to the next phase of combat, without Hamas having fulfilled its commitment to complete disarmament, constitutes a fatal blow to the legacy of the fallen and serves as a prelude to the next war. Furthermore, we view with great concern how the humanitarian aid flowing into the Strip has become the 'oxygen pipe' for the terrorist regime, allowing it to rehabilitate and distancing us from the goal of its defeat. Therefore, the entry of aid must be halted immediately so long as it serves to strengthen Hamas and endangers the achievements of the war and the security of the State of Israel."
The families added, "Moreover, reality has proven that only the Israel Defense Forces are capable of defending the security of the state and the Jewish people, from the Jordan to the Sea. We reject any involvement of an external international force or reliance on foreign guarantees. The IDF must remain the exclusive entity responsible for security throughout the Gaza Strip, without external limitations."
"Furthermore, the State of Israel bears the obligation to maintain its full freedom of action and to respond with power and severity to any violation by Hamas. Only a policy of zero tolerance and a resolute response will generate true deterrence and ensure the safety of our citizens and soldiers."
Concluding the letter, the families emphasized that this is not a political demand, but an outcry stemming from their personal loss.
"Mr. President, as someone who has always stood by Israel’s side, we expect that in your meeting with the Prime Minister, you will grant full backing to these demands. These are not political requirements, but rather the outcry of families who have paid the highest price of all for the return of the hostages and the security of the State of Israel," the families concluded.
Over the weekend, families of the Hagvura Forum held a protest vigil outside the Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office, ahead of the meeting with President Trump. During the vigil, the families called out to Netanyahu and the ministers: "You have no mandate to rehabilitate Gaza until the destruction of Hamas and the release of the last hostage."