Father of Hostage Pleads for Negotiated Release amid Israel-Hamas Conflict

Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son remains captive in Gaza, urges a swift agreement to secure the freedom of hostages held by Hamas. Amid ongoing negotiations, President Biden and Vice President Harris meet with the U.S. negotiating team as protests erupt in Israel over the failure to achieve a cease-fire.

"The only way to get hostages home alive is by some kind of negotiated agreement with Satan," proclaimed Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of Sagui Dekel-Chen, an Israeli-American hostage still held by Hamas.

With the United States serving as a broker in the negotiations, President Biden and Vice President Harris joined the U.S. negotiating team in the White House Situation Room to discuss efforts towards securing the release of the remaining hostages.

Father of Hostage Pleads for Negotiated Release amid Israel-Hamas Conflict

Dekel-Chen's plea comes as seven U.S. citizens remain in Hamas captivity, four of whom are believed to be alive. The murders of three hostages have already been confirmed.

"The time is over for selling this fantasy of total victory over Hamas based on the sacrifice of our hostages," Dekel-Chen asserted.

Father of Hostage Pleads for Negotiated Release amid Israel-Hamas Conflict

He argued that the Israeli government's pursuit of military dominance over Hamas has failed to yield results and has instead led to the deaths of six hostages in recent weeks.

"We've been at this for 11 months, hearing that a little more military pressure will cause Hamas to beg for an agreement," he said. "Clearly, that has not happened."

Father of Hostage Pleads for Negotiated Release amid Israel-Hamas Conflict

Dekel-Chen pointed to the support received from the Biden administration and Congress, calling it extraordinary in the current polarized political climate.

"The Biden administration has given us extraordinary support since Oct. 7," he said. "But at the end of the day, the US administration is not the one who has to sign this agreement."

Father of Hostage Pleads for Negotiated Release amid Israel-Hamas Conflict

He stressed that the United States, along with Qatar and Egypt, is facilitating brokering between Israel and Hamas.

While acknowledging the challenges of negotiating with a terrorist organization, Dekel-Chen believes that the Biden administration has done everything within its power to bring both sides to an agreement.

"Obviously, a little more is necessary," he said. "We're asking for that last little push to convince Hamas and Israel to end this madness."

Dekel-Chen argued that the complete eradication of Hamas should not be a sticking point for a deal, citing the organization's weakened state.

"The entire senior command of the Army and our intelligence services have said that Hamas has been so significantly depleted that it cannot be used anymore as an excuse not to complete this deal," he stated.

"The only resistance in Israel is from the government itself, most of its ministers unqualified to make these kinds of decisions," he added.

Mass protests have erupted in Israel, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to express their frustration and anger over the failure to secure the return of the hostages.

A rare general strike has also been organized by Israel's trade union, leading to closures and disruptions across the country.