Sister of slain hostage urges Israel to stop bombing Gaza

Merav Svirsky, sister to Israeli hostage Itay Svirsky who was recently killed in Gaza, has urged the Israeli government to stop its military campaign in Gaza, criticising the inconsistent approach of Netanyahu’s government which she said had endangered the lives of captives in the enclave. 

In an interview with Channel 12 on Thursday, Merav Svirsky said that Netanyahu's objectives in the conflict, including the destruction of Hamas and the retrieval of hostages, were inherently contradictory.

She emphasised the necessity of an agreement that ensures the safe return of those held in Gaza.

Following the Israeli army's admission of accidentally killing three Israeli hostages in Gaza, who were in Hamas's custody, Svirsky called for public protests against Netanyahu's policies.

She questioned the sincerity of the government's claims that retrieving hostages is a priority.

Hamas announced the death of two Israeli prisoners, including Itay Svirsky, in an Israeli bombardment.

Israel has accused Hamas of holding approximately 136 Israelis in Gaza since 7 October, when it began a relentless and indiscriminate bombing campaign against the besieged enclave.

Israel has conducted extensive air and ground assaults on Gaza, which have resulted in the killing of more than 25,000 Palestinians, as well as extensive damage to the enclave's infrastructure.

According to the United Nations, these attacks have left 85 percent of Gaza's population internally displaced and caused severe shortages of essentials.