Mother of Gaza hostage says release deal has to be Netanyahu’s top priority

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

The mother of a young woman taken hostage during the 7 October attack by Hamas has called on the Israeli government to make the release deal their top priority.

Ayelet Levy Shachar’s daughter, Naama Levy, is currently being held hostage in Gaza after being kidnapped from an Israeli army observation post near the Gaza border. Around 1,200 people were killed in the 7 October attack, with another 250 people taken hostage. Around 120 are still believed to be held in Gaza, but Israel says that around a third of them are likely dead.

Naama, a “determined” and “fun-loving young woman”, turned 20 in captivity, her mother told the BBC. Speaking on the prospects of reaching a hostage deal, she said she believes they “have never before been in such a promising point.”

Ms Shachar continued: “Nothing should be distracting [us] at this point... this is what we should be dealing with right now. I’m asking and hoping that our prime minister’s commitment to this will be his first priority.”

Her pleas come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington to meet outgoing US president Joe Biden with US hopes of mediating an end to the nine-month Israel-Gaza war. More than 39,000 people have been killed inside Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, since the Israeli military offensive began in response to the Hamas attack.

Mr Netanyahu has been accused by some hostage families of avoiding closing a ceasefire and hostage-release deal to stay in power, given that his personal poll ratings are poor and an election would likely follow the end of the war in Gaza. It is an accusation the Israeli leader has denied.

Some relatives of men and women held captive travelled to Washington with the Israeli prime minister, but Ms Shachar turned down an invitation due to bad timing. Speaking in Washington to the families, Mr Netanyahu said: “The conditions [for a deal] are undoubtedly ripening. This is a good sign.”

Hostages released during a previous ceasefire and exchange deal in November gave information to Naama’s family which has led them to believe that her captors moved her from place to place to avoid Israeli military action and that she had shrapnel injuries in her legs.

The family have been told by the Israeli military that there is “proof of life” despite not being given any details.

On Thursday, officials from Egypt, Israel, the United States and Qatar will meet in Doha to resume talks for a proposed three-phase ceasefire deal.

Lebanon’s daily Al-Akhbar newspaper shares the same concerns as the hostage’s families and is worried that Mr Netanyahu might destroy a possible deal in the final hours.

The Israeli military said it is planning to begin a “forceful” operation against Hamas in Gaza and has told residents in the “adjusted” al-Mawasi humanitarian area to leave. Close to half a million people are living in the targeted areas and a significant number of families have left the area.

Additional reporting by agencies