Hostages' families on IDF operation in Deir al-Balah: 'Shocked and alarmed – the people of Israel will not forgive those who knowingly endangered the hostages'
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said its members were shocked and alarmed by reports of the IDF's assault in the Deir al-Balah area of the Gaza Strip – a part of the enclave where the military had not operated since the start of the war.

"The families of the hostages are shocked and alarmed by these reports," the forum said in a statement. "As of this moment, we have received no official, organized updates or satisfactory answers on this matter."

The forum demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and IDF Spokesperson Effie Defrin appear before the families and the public this evening to "clearly explain why the offensive in the Deir al-Balah area does not put the hostages at serious risk."

"The people of Israel will not forgive anyone who knowingly endangered the hostages – both the living and the deceased," the statement continued. "No one will be able to claim they didn't know what was at stake."