Hostage’s Wife Slams Netanyahu: ‘Military Force Will Kill My Husband!’
Rivka Bohbot, wife of a Gaza hostage, criticized Netanyahu’s plan to expand military operations, arguing that only a deal can save the remaining 49 hostages, and condemned calls to ignore their suffering. Her emotional plea, spurred by harrowing videos of captives, highlights the urgent need for a resolution amid escalating tensions.
Rivka Bohbot, wife of Elkana Bohbot, a hostage held in Gaza for nearly two years, sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to escalate military operations, including a potential occupation of the Gaza Strip. In an interview on Kan News with Keren Ozen, Rivka expressed her anguish, stating, “Words have run out. This is simply sacrificing our parents, sacrificing my husband. I’m terribly worried. I don’t understand what they’re aiming for. Why aren’t our hostages, my husband, and all the others the top priority? It hurts.” She argued that military force would lead to tragic outcomes, saying, “I always think the only way to bring back the hostages who are still alive is through a deal. Military force will only bring back bodies. I want my husband home alive.”
Rivka also addressed the recent Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad videos showing hostages Rom Braslavsky and Evyatar David in dire conditions, with Braslavsky eating only “three crumbs of falafel” and David appearing skeletal. “For me, seeing the videos of Rom and Evyatar is like seeing a video of my husband,” she said. “I asked to see them, I couldn’t not look. This is the reality they’re living in. For a long time, not a grain of wheat entered Gaza, and of course, this affected our hostages. I always send my energies to Elkana, positive energies, to be strong.” Her comments reflect the dire situation, with 49 hostages still held, 22 believed alive, per IDF estimates, amid reports of Hamas diverting 50% of aid, per UNRWA.
Rivka also rebuked MK Simcha Rothman’s call to ignore the hostage videos, stating, “This is turning your back and doing nothing.” Her remarks align with a growing outcry, including a planned hostage families’ flotilla to Gaza on August 7, following stalled ceasefire talks. Social media on X echoed her urgency, with one user stating, “Rivka’s right, military escalation risks our hostages’ lives.”