Families of Israel hostages slam gov’t failure to return them

The families of Israeli prisoners of war held in Gaza have slammed the Israeli government’s failure to return them more than six months after waging a devastating war on the besieged enclave with the alleged aim of bringing them home.

This comes as news circulated that the head of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, toured “areas that witnessed gunfights between the resistance and the Israeli occupation army, where he met some of the movement’s fighters on the ground.”

The families said Sinwar was on the streets, while “the hostages languish in basements,” describing this as “an image of Israeli failure.”

“The news of Al-Sinwar’s exit to the streets of Gaza has been verified and revealed by reliable intelligence sources that he emerged from the depths of the tunnels, where the kidnapped remain,” the families said, adding that if the kidnapped people are not a top priority for the government, “there will be no redemption, and there will be no victory.”

BREAKING | A leading Hamas source informs Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed: "Commander Yahya Sinwar recently had a tour of areas that witnessed gunfights between the resistance and the Israeli occupation army, where he met some of the movement's fighters on the ground and not in the tunnels." pic.twitter.com/zHrFPYmCrn

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) April 24, 2024

Thousands of Israeli demonstrators took to the streets on Saturday demanding new elections and urging the government to take further measures to return the 133 prisoners of war held in Gaza.

READ: Israel hostage to Netanyahu: If you can’t bring us home, step down