President Isaac Herzog visited the Ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe today (Sunday) in Queens, New York City, together with his wife.
There, they prayed and lit candles and left a note praying for the health and return of all the hostages in the hands of murderous terrorists in Gaza, the success and wellbeing of the soldiers of the IDF and defense forces, for the mental and physical healing of the wounded, and for the ascension of the souls of the fallen and the murdered.
Watch:
When the time came for the decisive government meeting on approving the hostage deal, President Herzog released a recorded statement beseeching the government to approve the deal and ensure the release of all remaining hostages.
He also called on both opponents and supporters of the deal, as those who feared its consequences in terms of the release of terrorists, to be respected and treated fairly.
President Herzog publicly welcomed the return of both groups of female hostages from captivity in public statements.
The state of the hostage deal is currently in question due to Hamas' refusal to release Arbel Yehud or even to provide clear-cut proof that she is alive. Yehud was reportedly supposed to be released yesterday but was not freed.
Hamas has also failed to provide Israel with the list of the remaining 26 hostages to be released according to the first phase of the deal and their condition, especially whether they are alive or dead.
Israel argued that these breaches of the deal were severe enough to justify closing the Netzarim Corridor to any movement of Gazans to the northern Gaza Strip, whether in vehicles or on foot.
For its part, Hamas has publicly complained of this "violation" of the ceasefire deal and has called on the mediators to pressure Israel to allow "our people" to return to their homes.
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