Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s special envoy for hostage affairs met today with members of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, who expressed deep anger over the government’s pursuit of a temporary agreement that would secure the release of only about one-third of the remaining hostages.

During the meeting, Gal Hirsch, the envoy, reassured the families that the temporary truce represents just the initial step of a broader three-phase plan. He explained that, two weeks into the six-week ceasefire, discussions will commence on the terms of the second phase, which aims to free the rest of the living hostages, according to a report by Channel 12.

However, Netanyahu’s intention to resume military operations after completing the first phase has left hostage families deeply worried about the prospects for subsequent phases. Their concern stems from uncertainty about whether the remaining stages—particularly the retrieval of the bodies of hostages who were killed—will ever come to fruition.

Channel 12 also noted that Hirsch did not commit, during the discussion, to the government being ready to permanently halt the conflict—a stance Hamas has long insisted upon as a prerequisite for releasing all remaining hostages.

{Matzav.com Israel}