The father of hostage Rom Braslavski spoke at a mass rally in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, saying he "no longer trusts the prime minister" after waiting almost two years for the return of his son.
Ofir Braslavski told the nearly 350,000 people gathered in Hostage Square, "I see a picture of him dying here. There is no other way to describe it – dying," he said. "These are horrors of the Holocaust. We see him tortured, suffering, and a month has passed since the video and nothing has been done. I don’t want to receive my boy in a bag."
In July, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group released footage of Rom, who appeared emaciated and in dire need of medical attention.
Braslavski published an open letter to President Donald Trump on Aug. 8, seeking his intervention.
"I turn to you – not as a diplomat or a politician, but as a father desperate for action…President Trump, my son does not have time. Every day that nothing changes is another day he may not survive. We are out of time. We need to get him food and medical attention, and we need to get him out of hell."
His statement concluded with his desire to see a deal reached for all the hostages, regardless of the consequences of any agreement.
"We need to get them all out of hell. One deal. No phases. No conditions. No silence."
Earlier this week, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir urged the Israeli government to take the hostage deal that Hamas proposed, saying the choice is "in Netanyahu’s hands."
Nationwide protests throughout the day on Tuesday ended with the rally in Hostages Square demanding a deal to free the 50 remaining hostages – 20 of whom are believed to still be alive – and voiced opposition to the government’s planned military campaign in Gaza City.
This All Israel News story was republished with permission.