Kidnapped man's father: "Glant and Nitzan Alon are enemies of my son and the rest of the kidnappers""

August 13, 2024   

Yaron, the father of the kidnapped Avinatan Or, spoke today (Tuesday) with Aryeh Golan on the B network and claimed: "Glant and Nitzan Alon (head of the IDF's Kidnapped Command), who instead of pressuring Hamas are pressuring the prime minister to withdraw, are enemies of my son and of all the kidnapped who will remain there." Listen to the full interview: The father said: "Hamas and Sinwar may be willing to release a few people, only on the condition that they return to control Gaza, they will not give up and have never given up on that. The attack on the prime minister by the defense minister is an injustice - because the obstacle to the deal is Sinwar, who wants to continue to control Gaza." Regarding the Israeli outline for the hostage deal presented by President Joe Biden in May, he said: "This is the outline that returns Hamas to power and does not allow the IDF to return. After Hamas releases a number of hostages, it will leave the rest. If the IDF withdraws from the points it holds, such as the Philadelphia axis and the Netzarim axis - we will lose the rest of the hostages completely. "The IDF and the defense minister say, 'We can manage, we can go back and compete.' The defense minister said in the last government debate: 'I understand security.' This defense minister and these IDF chiefs, they were the IDF chiefs when my son was taken from the party in Nova." Yesterday, in a discussion held in the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, Defense Minister Yoav Galant attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "I hear the heroes with the tambourine drums and this chatter about the complete victory. It's a shame that behind closed doors they didn't show the same courage." Galant continued his criticism: "We are at a crossroads, there is an alternative of a deal that will bring about a settlement in the north and south, and the other is an escalation to war. I and the defense establishment support the first alternative, we will know how to live with the price." He accused, despite Hamas's announcement last night, that the reason the hostage deal is delayed is, among other things, because of Israel. "Regarding the Philadelphia axis, even if we go for 60 days, nothing will happen. The reason the hostage deal is delayed is, among other things, because of Israel." In response to Gallant's remarks, Netanyahu's office issued a sharp statement: "When Gallant adopts the anti-Israeli narrative, he harms the chances of reaching a deal to release the hostages. He should have attacked Sinwar, who refuses to send a delegation to negotiations, and who was and remains the only obstacle to a hostage deal." The office added: "Israel has only one choice - to achieve a complete victory, which means eliminating Hamas's military and governmental capabilities, and freeing our hostages - and this victory will be achieved. This is the clear directive of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the cabinet, and it obligates everyone - including Gallant." Senior officials in the prime minister's circle were quick to clarify that despite the tensions between the two, in the midst of the war, and against the backdrop of heightened alert for revenge by Iran and Hezbollah - Gallant's dismissal is not on the agenda. "Netanyahu is not moved by the belligerents and understands that in war you don't fire a defense minister.".