Family of captured soldier criticises Israeli government

Simha Goldin (L), the father of Israeli soldier Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, holds up a picture of his son at their family home in the central Israeli city of Kfar Saba on 29 August 2018. [JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images]

The family of an Israeli captive in Gaza has criticised Israel’s coalition government, accusing it of not exerting enough efforts to secure the release of the soldiers held by the Palestinian resistance, Al Watan Voice reported on Sunday.

According to the newspaper, Semha Golden, father of the Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, one of the captives, said: “The current government does not exert enough efforts to release our sons who went to the battlefield.”

Golden went missing after an ambush by Al Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, during the Israelis offensive on Gaza in 2014 that lasted 51 days during which Israel killed more than 2,260 Palestinians and wounded more than 11,000 others.

The Israeli army attempted to close the case of Golden and the other missing soldier, Oron Shaul, by announcing their death.

Al Qassam has, however, released a video with a song in Hebrew that included words by the two Israeli soldiers, hinting they are still alive.

There are around 5,000 Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli jails; Hamas insist that a large number of them must be released in return for the captured Israeli soldiers.

READ: ‘Hamas not intimidated by Israel, PA arrests’

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