Hostage families push for cease-fire deal as Israel rescues captive
- Israel rescues hostage taken by Hamas as cease-fire talks resume
- Israel and Hamas have not agreed to a cease-fire deal
- Leat Corinne: 'We must have a cease-fire deal'
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(NewsNation) — Following the Israeli military’s successful rescue of 52-year-old Qaid Farhan Alkadi, an Israeli citizen, the families of the remaining 108 hostages still in captivity in Gaza continue to pray for the safe return of their loved ones.
Leat Corinne, the cousin of Omer Shem Tov, who is currently being held by Hamas in Gaza, called the rescue “a miracle” but stressed a broader cease-fire deal is needed to release more hostages.
“We must have a deal for the negotiation signed to make sure that we have 108 other moments like this,” Corinne said Tuesday on “NewsNation Now.” “This is an incredible operation, but we need to seal the deal.”
Corinne urged all parties involved in negotiations to “lock themselves in there until they come out with a successful plan to go forward with the cease-fire.”
Alkadi’s rescue comes as international mediators returned to the negotiation table Tuesday as they try to reach a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.
She also called on the international community to maintain pressure on Hamas while expressing frustration with the prolonged captivity.
“At the end of the day, I don’t think anyone is doing enough because it’s been 326 days now, and Omer is not home,” Corinne said.
According to the IDF, Alkadi was in stable condition and being transferred to a hospital for additional wellness checks. His rescue was the fourth successful operation to rescue hostages from Hamas that were alive.
Officials expect negotiations to continue for at least the next few days as they try to prevent a wider regional war.
Israel and Hamas both walked away from negotiations recently, but a spokesman for the White House national security team says mediators remained for additional negotiation talks.
One of the biggest points of contention revolves around Israeli forces staying stationed along the border of Gaza and Egypt even after a possible deal is reached.
Israel believes the forces could stop Hamas from smuggling in weapons, while Hamas has rejected this proposal.
This all comes after a heavy exchange of strikes between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah over the weekend targeting military sites.
NewsNation’s Tom Demsey contributed to this report.
