Families Of Hamas Hostages Demand Israel To "Come Up With A Plan Now"

The families of hostages held in Gaza called on the Israeli government Saturday to make an urgent deal to secure their release after the army admitted "mistakenly" killing three captives.

The Israeli army has said the three hostages killed by troops in Gaza on Friday were carrying a white flag and had cried for help in Hebrew.

The news of their killing has sparked protests in Israel, and the relatives of the remaining hostages have expressed concern their loved ones could be next.

"All we get again and again are dead hostages," Noam Perry, daughter of hostage Haim Perry, said at an event in Tel Aviv organised by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

"Our demand is not a fight (with the government) it's a call that anyone would have made if it had been their father. Take us into consideration and come up with a plan now (for negotiation)."

Ruby Chen, father of 19-year-old soldier Itai, who is among the captives, said: "We feel like we're in a Russian roulette game (finding out) who will be next in line to be told the death of their loved one.

"They explained to us first that the ground operation would bring back the abductees," he said.

"It doesn't work. Because since then, abductees have been seen returning, but not so much alive. It's time to change this assumption," he said.

Around 250 people were taken hostage during Palestinian Hamas group Hamas's October 7 attacks on Israel, which killed around 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.

Vowing to destroy Hamas and bring back the hostages, Israel launched a massive offensive against the Palestinian Islamist movement that has left much of the Gaza Strip in ruins.

The territory's Hamas government says the war has killed at least 18,800 people, mostly women and children.

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