The Hostages Families Forum released a statement today (Sunday) saying they spoke with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu regarding the possibility of a hostage deal, and that Netanyahu sounded optimistic.
This comes after Hamas released footage yesterday (Saturday) including a sign of life from hostage Matan Tzengauker.
Hamas's video, which appears to have been filmed recently based on Mr. Zangauker's references to current events, represents the latest chapter in the militant group's sophisticated media campaign. It follows a similar video last week featuring Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, suggesting a coordinated effort to maintain pressure on the Israeli government.
Mr. Zangauker and his partner, Illana Gritzewsky, were among those taken from Nir Oz, a small farming community that lost a quarter of its population to Hamas attackers on October 7. While Ms. Gritzewsky was released during November's temporary cease-fire, Zangauker remains one of approximately 100 Israelis still held captive.
The video's release — and the dramatic confrontation it sparked — comes at a particularly delicate moment for Mr. Netanyahu, whose recent offer of $5 million and safe passage to anyone who helps return a hostage has drawn criticism from families who see it as a dangerous gambit that could put their loved ones at greater risk.
The growing divide between the hostages' families and government policy has found a powerful voice in Ms. Zangauker, who has emerged as a prominent critic of Mr. Netanyahu's approach. She has maintained a steady presence at protests, from weekly gatherings outside military headquarters in Tel Aviv to demonstrations near the prime minister's Jerusalem residence.
In the video, her son appears to acknowledge these efforts, saying, "Mom, I'm watching you, and I'm hearing a lot about you."
Opposition leader Yair Lapid seized on the video's release to criticize the government's handling of the crisis, calling on Netanyahu's "government of destruction" to "wake up" — a reflection of how the hostage issue has become increasingly intertwined with Israel's fractious domestic politics.
The prime minister's office said Mr. Netanyahu spoke with Ms. Zangauker on Saturday evening, assuring her he "fully understands the difficult suffering that Matan is going through" and is "acting fiercely and in every way" to secure the hostages' return.
During his meeting with the Hostage Families Forum today (Sunday), the Netanyahu also promised that bodies would be returned along with the living during each phase of an agreement, but not at the expense of one another.
All that said, the Prime Minister said that he identifies significant progress in the ability to reach a deal.
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