Families of hostages in Gaza are angered by stepped-up Israeli attacks and demand “immediate explanation” from government | Israel-Palestine conflict

The families of Israeli hostages still in Gaza are angry at “the absolute uncertainty about the fate of their loved ones” after Israel stepped up attacks on Gaza and also expanded its ground offensive.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an organization representing the families of 229 hostages, is demanding an “immediate explanation” from the Israeli government. “No one from the war cabinet has bothered to tell the family what a ground offensive means for the fate of the 229 hostages,” the group said in a statement. “The families are concerned about their loved ones and are waiting for an explanation. Every minute seems like an eternity. We demand that Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant and the members of the War Cabinet meet with us this morning,” at the end of “a night of immense fear,” it said.

On Thursday, Hamas, the group that governs the Gaza Strip, said that “nearly fifty” hostages had died in Gaza as a result of the Israeli attacks.

The air raids on Gaza on Friday night are said to be among the heaviest since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out three weeks ago. For the third night in a row, Israeli ground forces also crossed the Gaza border.

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