Father of Israeli Captive Calls on Trump to Pressure Netanyahu to Halt Gaza Offensive

The father of an Israeli captive detained by the Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip has urged Trump to exert pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt what he describes as the regime’s genocidal conflict in the blockaded coastal territory.

According to a report by the Israeli public broadcaster KAN, Yehuda Cohen, the father of Nimrod—who is presumed to be among those held captive by Hamas—has urgently appealed for intervention, stating, “The only way I can see my son alive is if Netanyahu is compelled to end the war.”

The comments emerge following disclosures that Israeli military operations throughout the Gaza Strip have endangered the lives of at least 54 hostages held by Palestinian resistance factions, resulting in the death of 20 people.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that throughout the 601 days of the Gaza conflict, which began in early October 2023, operations by the Israeli military, including airstrikes, led to the deaths of captives either directly or indirectly due to nearby military actions. At least 31 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on US-supported aid centers in Gaza. Israel has conducted two lethal assaults on recently set up aid facilities managed by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

Haaretz reported that despite multiple strikes being avoided due to the proximity of hostages, the Israeli military allows strikes within a range of several hundred meters.

Sources indicate that resistance factions within the Gaza Strip are currently holding 58 hostages. This number includes 57 of the 251 individuals apprehended by resistance fighters led by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

The Israeli military has reported the discovery of bodies, confirming at least 35 fatalities. Among these, 20 individuals are believed to still be alive.

Hamas has freed a total of 30 captives, comprising 20 Israeli settlers, five soldiers, and five Thai nationals, along with the remains of eight individuals who perished amid indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes in Gaza during a ceasefire spanning from January to March. An additional captive named Alexander was also released earlier this month.

In late November 2023, the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance group released 105 Israeli settlers amid a weeklong truce, with an additional four captives having been freed earlier in the conflict’s early stages.

In return, Israel has released approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees, including individuals from Gaza held during the ongoing conflict in the besieged region.

Eight Israeli captives have been located alive by the regime’s military forces, while the bodies of 41 others have been recovered. Among the deceased are three individuals reportedly killed by mistake by the Israeli military, as well as the remains of a soldier who lost his life in 2014.

The remains of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier who was killed in 2014, continue to be held by Hamas. He is included in the tally of 58 captives.