'Feeling of despair'; Growing frustration among Israel hostage families

FRANCE 24 English

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00:00 "Out, out!"

00:02 They have banded together in their anguish and in their determination to see their loved

00:08 ones freed.

00:09 This weekend, like most weekends, hostages square in Tel Aviv was the scene of mass protests

00:14 by relatives of hostages still being held in Gaza.

00:19 Families say they are fed up of being held in the dark over ongoing negotiations.

00:23 "I think there's a general kind of feeling of despair in terms of things moving forward.

00:29 We've heard that there's a deal on the table.

00:31 We don't know the progress of this, if it's actually moving forward or not, and where

00:35 it really stands.

00:36 I think the biggest thing is we just don't have a ton of information."

00:39 Now over three months into their loved ones' captivity, the families say they want to keep

00:43 up the pressure on the government, some even calling for Benjamin Netanyahu to resign.

00:49 The Prime Minister says bringing all the hostages home is one of the government's top priorities

00:53 but insists the best way to achieve this is by military pressure.

00:58 Some families have met with Qatari officials involved in negotiations.

01:01 They say all parties need to double down on their efforts to secure the release of the

01:05 hostages.

01:06 "We met His Excellency the Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed.

01:11 They wished to directly establish contact with us and learn the perspective of the hostage

01:18 families.

01:20 They were attentive, familiar with our stories and showed sympathy to us."

01:29 The Qatari government says the recent killing of senior Hamas leader Saleh al-Aruri in Lebanon

01:34 could further complicate hostage negotiations.

01:37 The agonizing wait for families continues.

01:40 According to Israel, of the 250 hostages taken on October 7th, more than 130 remain in captivity.

01:47 Some are believed to have been killed in operations by the Israeli military aimed at freeing them.

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