Israeli hostages' families threaten escalation to push for more negotiations with Hamas

JERUSALEM, Palestine

The families of Israeli hostages in Gaza threatened Monday to escalate their efforts to pressure Tel Aviv to resume negotiations with Hamas for hostage exchanges through mediators.

Families will set up nonstop protests if hostage negotiations are not resumed, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.

Daniel Lifshitz – the grandson of Yocheved Lifshitz, who was released from Hamas captivity, and Oded Lifshitz, who was also kidnapped on Oct. 7 and has yet to be released – called on Cabinet members during a press conference to return to negotiations for the release of the hostages, the newspaper said.

He stated that the families would escalate their actions if this did not happen.

''We will not beg you. If this does not happen, we will sit from 8 this evening near the Kirya army headquarters and will not move from there,'' the newspaper quoted Lifshitz as saying.

In response, the prime minister’s office said in a statement that a meeting with the families and the War Cabinet is scheduled for Wednesday.

The Israeli army resumed bombing the Gaza Strip early Friday after declaring an end to a weeklong humanitarian pause.

The death toll from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has surged to 15,899 since the start of the conflict on Oct. 7, the Health Ministry in the besieged Palestinian enclave announced Sunday.

The number of wounded through the same period has risen to more than 42,000.

The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio