Former Israeli captive accuses Netanyahu of ordering death of hostages in Gaza

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

A former Israeli captive accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday of giving an order to kill the hostages held in Gaza by pressing ahead with a plan to occupy Gaza City.

Ilana Gritzovsky, released under a truce in November 2023, told Army Radio that Netanyahu’s decision meant “giving the order to kill the hostages.” Her partner, soldier Matan Zangauker, is still held in Gaza.

“How many families must be thrown into grief before he listens to the public outcry?” she asked, adding that she longs to return to a normal life and to marry Zangauker once he is back.

Gritzovsky said she cannot work amid expanding military operations. “I know what captives endure. With every plane overhead they must take cover. I once hid from falling debris myself,” she recalled.

She was among 109 captives freed under a deal mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, which also saw 240 Palestinians released and some humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza. The pause, however, broke down, with Israel resuming its military campaign in December.

Earlier this month, Netanyahu’s government approved full occupation of Gaza, starting with Gaza City. The military claimed to have launched a ground assault this week, though local sources say the reality is stepped-up airstrikes, artillery shelling, and use of robot-carried explosives to demolish homes and force displacement.

Israel estimates 48 hostages remain in Gaza, about 20 of them believed alive. Human rights groups say over 11,000 Palestinians are detained in Israeli prisons under dire conditions, including reports of torture, starvation, medical neglect, and deaths.

Opposition leaders and hostage families inside Israel accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the war for political survival, warning that any withdrawal from Gaza could topple his coalition.

The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 65,100 Palestinians since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and forced the population into famine.

On Tuesday, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory confirmed that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.