As the death toll from Israel’s March 17 airstrikes on Gaza surpasses 400, the families of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas have issued their sharpest condemnation yet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government.

In public statements following the deadly bombing campaign, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum declared: “Our greatest fear came true. The government chose to give up on the hostages.” The group, which represents the relatives of dozens of captives taken on October 7, accused Netanyahu of choosing a military path that places their loved ones in direct danger.

The airstrikes, which Israel claims targeted Hamas infrastructure, killed at least one Israeli hostage and injured two others, according to Israeli media. The government has offered no clarification on how the hostages were harmed or whether intelligence confirmed their locations prior to the strikes.

“This is not how you bring people home,” said one family representative in an interview with France24. “You don’t rescue hostages by bombing the buildings they’re held in.”

Netanyahu has defended the military campaign as necessary after what he described as Hamas’s refusal to advance hostage negotiations. However, Hamas leaders insist they were prepared to move to Phase 2 of the hostage deal, scheduled to begin on March 2, but were stalled by Israeli demands unrelated to the original agreement.

For the hostages’ families, the renewed bombing marks a turning point. “We pleaded with the government not to resume bombing,” said one anonymous relative quoted by AP. “We told them every airstrike is a risk to our loved ones. They didn’t listen.”

The latest Israeli escalation follows a broader trend of ignoring ceasefire frameworks and diplomatic tracks in favor of force. Despite the ongoing danger to hostages, Israeli leadership has intensified operations across Gaza, drawing criticism not only from Palestinian and international human rights groups, but now from its own citizens.

The Crustian Daily will continue tracking the hostage crisis, ceasefire negotiations, and the growing domestic opposition to Israel’s military strategy.