According to footage released by the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu only mentioned the hostages at the end of the meeting, and only after a note from Transportation Minister Miri Regev, who is overseeing the Independence Day ceremony.
By Pesach Benson, TPS
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ignited controversy during a Tuesday meeting with torchbearers ahead of Israel’s Independence Day, when he stated that “up to 24” hostages taken by Hamas in Gaza are still alive.
The moment became more fraught when a video released by the Prime Minister’s Office picked up on his wife, Sara, whispering “less” under her breath.
““I say ‘up to,’” Netanyahu added after his wife’s interjection, “and the rest of course, unfortunately, are not alive. And we will return them. It’s the same spirit.”
The remarks drew immediate backlash from families of hostages, who interpreted the exchange as an unofficial confirmation of additional deaths not previously disclosed.
Einav Tsengauker, mother of Matan Tsengauker, one of the hostages believed to be in Gaza, demanded clarification.
“If the Prime Minister’s wife has new information about kidnapped people who were killed, I demand that she know whether my Matan is still alive or was he murdered in captivity,” she said.
“You did something that will not be done—as far as all the families are concerned, it is their child that you determined was murdered in captivity, and on the eve of Memorial Day. We are fed up. We deserve different leadership.”
According to footage released by the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu only mentioned the hostages at the end of the meeting, and only after a note from Transportation Minister Miri Regev, who is overseeing the Independence Day ceremony.
Initially, the Prime Minister focused on what he described as Israel’s recent strategic achievements in the region.
“A year ago it wasn’t yet clear, but we have changed the face of the Middle East,” Netanyahu said. “Thanks to a truly enormous life force that lies within this people, as it has come together in moments of testing.”
He went on to praise Israeli soldiers. “I call them lions. They went out and fought. Some fell, some were wounded. There’s a guy who lost three limbs—he’s holding up one hand and says: ‘I want to come back. I want to fight.’ What power this is. Something enormous.”
Netanyahu also claimed Israel had “turned the tables” on Iran and its regional proxies. “We brought Hezbollah to its knees. In effect, we brought down the Assad regime. We attacked Iran, we attacked the Houthis. We have another big mission, I’m not minimizing that, but I’m sure we can do it.”
Minister Regev later explained changes to the Independence Day ceremony in light of the war.
“This year, we increased the number of summits—each torch has three, except for the beacon of the kidnapped, which has only two, symbolizing the absence of the 59 people we are still waiting for.”
Regev acknowledged the challenges of holding a celebratory event during wartime. “It’s a very, very complex thing. But we cannot let terrorist organizations win. That’s why we tried to bring together a panel that reflects the mosaic of Israeli society—people who decided, at the last minute or the first, to do something for the country.”
Independence Day begins on Wednesday at sundown.
At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 59 remaining hostages, 35 are believed to be dead.
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