Hostage's mother vows to hold Netanyahu to account if son dies

The mother of an Israeli hostage vowed Saturday to seek the prosecution of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if his planned new offensive in Gaza leads to her son’s death in captivity.

“If Netanyahu chooses to occupy the Gaza Strip instead of the current outline for a deal, it will be the execution of our hostages and dear soldiers,” Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, said.

Earlier this month, Hamas agreed to a framework for a truce and hostage release deal in the Palestinian territory but Israel has yet to give an official response.

“Netanyahu, if my Matan returns in a coffin, not only will he and I pay the price, I will personally ensure that you are charged with premeditated murder,” she told a rally in Tel Aviv demanding the safe return of the hostages.

Matan Zangauker was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz along with his Israeli-Mexican girlfriend Ilana Gritzewsky, as they tried to shelter in their safe room during Hamas’s October 2023 attack.

Gritzewsky was released in November 2023, during the first of only two truces during nearly 23 months of fighting.

Einav Zangauker has since become a key figure in the campaign for the safe release of the hostages.