Hostage relative: Israeli government won’t prioritise captives over defeating Hamas

“This is incredibly disappointing because we know that taking down Hamas, we keep hearing from them, is going to take months or years and it’s going to take a long time,” Goren said.

A relative of a hostage captured by Hamas said on Monday that Israel’s top officials told him that they won’t prioritise the release of captives over the defeat of Hamas.

Udi Goren, whose cousin Tal Chaimi is being held captive in Gaza, was one of several family members of hostages who met with the war cabinet, including with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.