Families of Israeli Hostages to Boycott Government Commemoration of October 7 Attack
A coalition representing the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza has announced plans to boycott the government’s commemoration of the first anniversary of the October 7 attack, citing frustration over the slow progress in negotiations to secure the return of their loved ones, CNN reports.
“The Israeli government’s glaring inability to secure the hostages’ return makes any attempt to conclude this chapter impossible,” the Hostage Families Forum said in a statement on Wednesday. “Since October 7, the situation has remained stagnant.”
The government is scheduled to hold a formal memorial event on October 7, a year after Hamas’ attack on Israel. Transport Minister Miri Regev, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, has been appointed by the government to organize the memorial.
The boycott announcement came after a number of kibbutzim (Israeli agricultural communes) from the Gaza border area announced they would not participate in the memorial. According to Israeli public broadcaster Kan, a CNN affiliate, many of those kibbutzim that were attacked on October 7, including Be’eri, Re’im, Nirim, Kfar Aza, Nahal Oz, Nir Oz, Yad Mordechai and Nir Yitzhak, will boycott the event.
Representatives of the towns of Ofakim and Sderot will participate, according to Kan.
On Wednesday, Benny Gantz, leader of Israel’s National Unity Party and former war cabinet member, stated that the event should be organized by the affected communities, rather than by Regev.
