Family of Israeli soldier detained in Gaza slams government officials

The family of Abre Mengistu, the Israeli soldier held by Hamas in Gaza, has accused Israel’s government of ignoring his plight and leaving him to face an “unknown” future, Safa news agency reported on Monday.

The accusation came one day after the family erected a protest tent in front of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem. No government officials have visited the tent to express solidarity with the “black” soldier, said his family.

A spokesperson of the family said that the government would never take any measure to resolve Mengistu’s situation if the Israeli public do not move. It was noted that he has been held for four years but no efforts have been made by the Israeli government to obtain his release.

In July 2015, the media was allowed to report Mengistu’s disappearance after he had infiltrated the Gaza border fence. A spokesman for the Hamas military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, announced that it had captured four Israeli occupation soldiers during and after the Israeli offensive against Gaza in 2014, including Mengistu.

Read: Facilitating life of Gazans conditioned on release of Israeli soldiers