Daniel Lifshitz's grandparents, two peace activists who used to transport Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to hospitals in Israel, were taken captive by the terrorist-stamped Hamas in the attack on October 7, 2023.
His grandmother was released after 16 days due to "humanitarian reasons". Over a year later, his grandfather came home in a coffin.
Daniel Lifshitz comes from the kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the worst affected in the October 7 attack, and still has two close friends who are being held as hostages.
We have recently seen pictures of Evyatar David, completely malnourished. I do not know him, but if I could, I would have exchanged places with him and my friends without hesitation. Everyone who has seen these pictures understands that it is urgent now.
Awakened anger
That is why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to take control of Gaza City has awakened the anger of Israelis – not least among the relatives of the hostages, who in a joint statement stated that the decision is "dangerous" and that they have had enough of "meaningless warfare".
What we can do here in Israel is to push our government to return to the negotiating table, and what Arab countries can do is to push Hamas. We must work together and put an end to this, both for the hostages and the people of Gaza.
A clear majority of Israel's population agrees that negotiations are preferable. According to a survey conducted by the Israeli Channel 14 in July, 82 percent were in favor of an agreement that would mean the release of the hostages and the end of the war in Gaza.
I understand that it is difficult to negotiate between two parties that do not trust each other. We have Hamas, a terrorist organization, and there are also extremists in Israel's government, but there is no alternative, says Daniel Lifshitz.
International criticism
The decision to take over Gaza City has also been met with harsh international criticism. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said that it risks "worsening the already catastrophic humanitarian situation for millions of Palestinians" and putting even more lives at risk.
When asked what Daniel Lifshitz himself sees as the best solution, he replies:
A ceasefire must be implemented, the hostages must be released, and humanitarian aid must be brought into Gaza in massive quantities.
The war in Gaza broke out after the terrorist-stamped Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Over 1,100 people were killed and around 250 were taken as hostages and taken to the Gaza Strip.
About 140 of the hostages have been released alive through negotiations and eight have been rescued by Israel's military, according to a compilation by the news agency AP.
Israel's bombings have killed over 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled area's health department, whose figures are often cited by UN agencies and international organizations.
In the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, a trial has been ongoing since December 2023, in which South Africa accuses Israel of genocide.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued international arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the country's former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and now deceased leaders within Hamas. The charges include war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Source: ICJ, AP, UN
