Father of hostage still in Gaza accuses Netanyahu of ‘stalling' Hamas deal

The Guardian

03-03-2025

The father of an Israeli hostage has said Benjamin Netanyahu is 'stalling' the deal with Hamas that could lead to the return of his son from Gaza.
Speaking at the Israeli embassy in central London, Yehuda Cohen, father of 20-year-old Israeli hostage Nimrod Cohen, said: 'There is a deal on the table.
'The only thing is Netanyahu is stalling it and I'm here to say loud and clear: we need pressure on our government, on Netanyahu in particular, to go for the second part of the deal.'
Cohen added: 'Everything stands on our prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who refuses to get to a permanent ceasefire.
'He's not doing it because of ideological reasons. He's doing it for personal reasons. He wants to stay in power.'
In the first phase of the ceasefire deal, 33 Israelis were freed – including the bodies of eight people who were killed in captivity or during the 7 October 2023 attack when Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages.
Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees during the first phase of the ceasefire in exchange for the hostages.
The Israeli government is reportedly planning to ratchet up its blockade on Gaza as part of what it has called a 'hell plan' to pressure Hamas into further hostage releases without having to withdraw troops.
Hamas has rejected the proposal, saying it represents a violation of the original truce agreement in January.
Cohen said he has heard news that his son, who was captured on 7 October, is alive from other hostages who were released in the first phase.
'He's there, he's alive, he's well and the only thing left is to get him released,' he said.
British-linked families told reporters of the horror of waiting for their relatives to be returned.
Ayelet Kaufman, the sister of Hadar Goldin, has been waiting more than 10 years for the return of her brother's body. Goldin, an Israeli soldier, was kidnapped and killed in 2014, his sister told reporters.British-Israeli citizen Ditza Or, mother of hostage Avinatan Or, said: 'Before 7 October, I was Ditza Or, with a full life, a profession.
'But since 7 October, I'm only the mother of Avinatan – 24 /7 I advocate for him.'
Avinatan Or was kidnapped along with his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, at the Supernova music festival in southern Israel on 7 October. His girlfriend has since been returned, but was separated from Or.
She added: 'It's important to bring the world to its peace and harmony, but first, bring all our children home, and then go on.'
Israel said on Sunday that a new US proposal calls for extending the ceasefire's first phase through Ramadan and the Jewish Passover holiday, which ends on 20 April.
Under that proposal, Hamas would release half the hostages on the first day and the rest when an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire, Netanyahu said.