Hostage families demanded clarification from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the "lack of advancement" of negotiations for a second stage of the hostage deal with Hamas, the Hostage Family Forum said Wednesday.
"Not implementing phase two means clear and real danger to dozens of living hostages and to the ability to bring the slain hostages to burial in Israel," the families said in a letter to Netanyahu.
"The images from recent weeks, together with the harrowing testimonies of the returned hostages, highlight more than anything the urgency and the obligation to bring everyone back—immediately, within a defined timeframe, and with complete commitment to completing the mission."
The families welcomed the news of the earlier return of additional hostages set to be released Saturday, adding that it is "clear proof that the timetable can be moved up" and shows that everyone can be brought back "in a much shorter time frame."
"The families of the hostages demand urgent clarifications regarding the continuation of the agreement and the clear path to bringing our loved ones home from captivity. The decisions you make in the coming moments are fateful."
A new proposal by Hamas
On Tuesday night, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem announced a new Hamas proposal that would involve releasing all remaining hostages at once in phase two.
Qassem stated that this could be made possible should Israel agree to a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
He added that Hamas doubled the number of hostages to be released at the request of mediators, claiming they had proven their commitment to honoring the ceasefire.
On Monday, Israel’s security cabinet meeting ended with no vote or decision regarding the second phase of the hostage-ceasefire deal, granting no authority to the Israeli delegation in Cairo to hold talks on the issue.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.