A former Israeli hostage has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 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, an Israeli soldier named 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 the expanding Israeli military assault in Gaza.
“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 hostages 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 offensive in December.
Earlier this month, Netanyahu’s government approved full occupation of Gaza, starting with Gaza City.
Israel claimed to have launched a ground assault this week and stepped up air strikes, artillery shelling, and the use of robot-carried explosives to demolish homes and force Palestinian displacement.
Israel estimates 48 hostages remain in Gaza; about 20 of them are believed to be 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, adding that any withdrawal from Gaza could topple his coalition.
