The chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Forces (TSAhal), General Eyal Zamir, met four survivors of Hamas captivity on Friday: Liri Albag, Romi Gonen, Omer Shem Tov and Sacha Trupanov.
During this meeting, General Zamir expressed his deep gratitude for their sincere testimony and reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the Israeli army to work for the return of all the hostages still detained in Gaza.
“I wanted to hear your feelings directly concerning the period when you were captive and when the TSAhal forces operated near you,” said the chief of staff to the four ex-hostages. “The trials you have gone through are terrible, and you demonstrate strength and resilience that deserve all our admiration.”
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General Zamir then reaffirmed the absolute priority granted by the Israeli army to the fate of hostages: “The return of hostages and their protection are constantly at the center of our concerns. We will continue to act by all possible means to achieve the objectives of this war: bring all the hostages among us and defeat the Hamas terrorist organization.”
This meeting comes in a context where negotiations for the release of hostages seem to be deadlocked, despite increasing international pressures. According to the latest official information, 21 hostages are still alive in Gaza, while uncertainty remains concerning the fate of several others.
The testimonies of the old hostages constitute a precious source of information for the Israeli forces, both on the conditions of detention and on the potential locations where the remaining captives could be found.
