Netanyahu meets relatives of abductees taken by Hamas

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met for the first time with representatives of the relatives of the hostages taken last wekend by the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas, Israeli media reported on Sunday.

There were no details about the meeting at first.

On Oct. 7, Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, massacred Israeli civilians in border towns and at a music festival.

The militant organisation also abducted more than 150 Israelis.

The relatives of the hostages have been criticising Israel’s government, accusing the leadership of abandoning the prisoners.

At a protest by the families on Saturday, several people demanded Netanyahu’s resignation.

Some relatives also accused him of not contacting them.

According to Israeli media, he spoke privately with several affected families.

Even before the devastating terror attacks, Netanyahu and his right-wing religious government were criticised for putting Israel’s security at risk for a planned, highly controversial judicial reform.