In an urgent letter addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the hostage families of the Tikva (Hope) Forum express their firm opposition to any ceasefire agreement with Lebanon without the prior release of the hostages.
“We live in an unbearable reality where the lives of our loved ones hang by a thread, while the State that we love and believe in does not use all its strength to bring them home,” write the families in their missive. The signatories demand a firm policy structured around five key points:
“We demand that no agreement or ceasefire be concluded in the North before the return of all hostages to Israel,” they insist, asking that an “unequivocal message be transmitted that any political or military process will be conditioned on their immediate release.” The letter describes with emotion their daily life since October 7: “More than a year has passed. Time passes, and we are forced to live day after day with infinite worry and a feeling of helplessness. Each day that passes without decisive action aggravates our suffering and that of our loved ones, detained in cruel and inhumane conditions.” The families also call for a “restriction of humanitarian aid to the minimum required by international law” and “strict control” of it, stressing that “currently, all kinds of food enter the Gaza Strip without supervision , an intolerable situation that allows Hamas to exploit resources for its needs.” “The disaster of October 7 changed our lives irreversibly,” they continue. “They are not just hostages; they are fathers, mothers, children and brothers whose lives depend on your actions.”
The letter concludes with a poignant appeal: “We will not be silent or rest until we see our loved ones return home safely. We demand that you act now, with determination and responsibility.” This intervention comes as an announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is expected in the coming hours.
Belgium
