IDF Chief of Staff to hostages' parents: 'As time passes, it will be more difficult to return them'

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi told parents of hostages held in Gaza on Friday that the longer the war goes on, the more difficult it will be to bring them home.

“We can and will always fight Hamas in order to return the hostages. However, as time passes, it will be harder to bring back anyone. I said this to decision-makers in the government as well,” said Halevi, according to Channel 12.

The chief of staff also admitted that he does not know when exactly the war will end, just that “we’re not close yet. If we don’t fight and put pressure on Hamas, it will take even more time.”

Halevi added that an agreement for a hostage release deal is ultimately a governmental decision but that the IDF “is doing all it can in order to bring about the best conditions possible. Your children are our responsibility, and we will go to great lengths to get them back. While there is no hostage agreement, we will work to bring as many of them back as possible.”

Parents of hostages said that military pressure is killing the hostages

Parents reportedly told Halevi that “military pressure is killing the hostages. We are afraid that the remaining live hostages will return dead. We are not ready for the IDF to approach where our children are being held.”

Another parent said, “You are putting my son at risk. If it is possible to get him out in a deal, then he should be protected. We are not interested in a rescue operation. We do not want another situation where soldiers end up dead like Arnon Zamora,” who fell in an operation to rescue hostages.