UK families of Gaza hostages warn Lebanon attack 'takes focus away' / Photo: BENJAMIN CREMEL - AFP
-
Below Deck alumnus João Franco and brother arrested after fatal Turkey fight
-
Ole Miss inquiry expands after video and monkey-noise allegations
-
Thousands of Urban Homes Left Without High-Speed Internet Due to Broadband Blackspots
-
General Hospital actor Randall England dies at 75
-
Bunnie XO artwork taken down from Jelly Roll’s Nashville bar
-
London museum removes Russell Brand hair exhibit after rape conviction
-
Arlington sentinel rebukes Pete Hegseth entourage for laughter near memorial
-
Yella Beezy sentenced to life for arranging rapper Mo3’s murder
-
Kylie Jenner employee describes closet ordeal and pepper-spray incident
-
Authorities to identify Montauk Mary and five other Long Island cold-case victims
-
Davante Adams injury deepens Los Angeles Rams receiver shortage
-
Barbie sequel negotiations stall over reported $25 million pay packages
-
João Franco’s earlier post draws attention after arrest over fatal Turkey brawl
-
Bath & Body Works launches buy-one-get-one-free candle offer
-
Alberta Launches $5M Fund for Women’s Neurology Research to Address Gender Gaps
-
Itlu Arjuna receives U/A certificate ahead of theatrical release
-
Dhananjaya de Silva guides Sri Lanka to 221-4 against Pakistan
-
Niraj Kumar earns Los Angeles Olympic quota with 50m rifle bronze
-
Delhi gold loses Rs 800 while silver falls Rs 5,000
-
India extends micro-credit guarantee plan for five years
-
Madlanga Commission Deadline Extended to 2027 Amid Calls for Structural Justice Reform
-
Pradeep Antony, Smeha Manimegalai portray secret spouses in Mr & Mrs Office
-
Zelenskyy arrives in Dublin for meetings on Ukraine and peace efforts
-
Woman barred from every Greggs outlet after series of offences
-
Jury hears social-media image helped identify teen in Scarlett Faulkner case
-
Ketchup packets link suspect to break-in at Eddie Rocket’s restaurant
-
American Airlines passenger falls ill and vomits on three travellers
-
Spain's General Strike Links Housing Crisis to Lost Purchasing Power
-
Euro-Area Inflation Reaches 4% as Energy Prices Jump
-
China's Factory Inflation Accelerates While Consumer Demand Stays Weak
-
US Adds 165,000 Jobs as Unemployment Falls to 4.1%
-
Bank of England Raises Interest Rate to 4% as Energy Risks Intensify
-
Energy Costs Push OECD Inflation Up to 4.5%
-
OPEC Says Oil Output Is Near Prewar Levels Despite Shipping Disruptions
-
China's Trade Surplus Passes $1 Trillion as Technology Exports Surge
-
China's Singles' Day Exposes Persistent Consumer Caution
-
US Inflation Broadens as Fed Officials Consider Faster Rate Hikes
-
Irish police prepare for further hoax bomb threats after hundreds of schools targeted
-
Korea, Singapore and New Zealand Advance Green Trade Pact Talks
-
RBA Inflation Target Origins: Why Australia Chose a Range Over Zero
-
Ireland and Ukraine consider drone cooperation memorandum after Dublin talks
-
Sister recounts fatal machete attack as Irish murder trial continues
-
Georgia refrigeration company sues EPA after five-year HFC reprieve
-
HoloCoder technology promises brighter smartphone images and 3D depth data
-
EU proposes broad consumer safeguards for apps, subscriptions and ticketing
-
Early Black Friday Walking Pad Deals: Urevo and WalkingPad Discounts
-
Nvidia faces scrutiny over alleged Chinese intelligence link to Jensen Huang
-
Radical Numerics develops offline AI tool to detect engineered pathogens
-
Chennai orders inquiry after dogs die at shelter; two veterinarians face action
UK families of Gaza hostages warn Lebanon attack 'takes focus away'
Families of hostages with British links held by Hamas in Gaza on Monday warned that Israel's escalation of hostilities with Hezbollah could distract from their loved ones being freed.
Sharone Lifschitz, whose parents were taken hostage during Hamas's attack on Israel last year, warned that an Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon would "take away" the focus from the remaining hostages.
Her mother, Yocheved, was released, but father Oded, 84, remains in captivity.
Next week marks one year since Hamas's attack resulted in 1,205 deaths and 251 people taken hostage, with 97 still held in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,615 people, most of them civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
Israel has now turned its attention to Lebanon, launching deadly air strikes on Hezbollah strongholds across the country.
However, for Steve Brisley, whose brother-in-law Eli Sharabi is still being held captive in Gaza, that "takes focus away from what is the most important thing, which is the release of the hostages."
He said there had been an "abject failure of international diplomacy" in securing a hostage return deal and felt as though the hostages had "been forgotten".
Brisley called for the UK government, which has called for a ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages, to find a "new and innovative" approach to end the crisis.
Lifschitz said there was a lack "of will from both sides", referring to Israel and Hamas.
Meeting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy earlier in the day, the family members pushed for the government to prioritise bringing their relatives back home.
"I hold the prime minister responsible for the life of these hostages", said Lifschitz, adding she was feeling "encouraged" by the meeting.
Starmer told the families that "we need to see the hostages returned immediately and unconditionally".
The relatives also received a message from Britain's head of state King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla, who said they "continue to keep them and all hostage families in our special thoughts".
L.Davis--AMWN