The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group claimed Tuesday that it lost contact with the captors holding Israeli hostage Rom Braslavski, and that his fate is currently unknown.
The Gaza-based group said in a statement that the loss of communication occurred after the Israel Defense Forces operated in the area where he was being held. Israel Defense Forces ground troops entered the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah on Monday for the first time, after avoiding it largely because hostages were thought to be held there.
Braslavski, who was taken hostage from the Nova music festival in the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, is one of the 50 hostages still held captive in Gaza. At least 20 of the captives are thought to be alive, and around half would be released under a ceasefire deal being negotiated between Israel and Hamas in Qatar.
PIJ has made statements and claims in the past that have not always proven reliable. Israel has accused the group, like Hamas, of conducting psychological warfare. PIJ released a video of Braslavski in April, likely scripted by his captors, in which he said he is experiencing “hell” and displayed signs of illness.
But the Braslavski family responded to the terror group’s announcement with its own statement, taking the government to task. His relatives demanded a meeting with either Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, or IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.
“We want to know where our son is. We want those responsible to sit with us and relay the situation, not fragments of information or partial truths,” the family said in the statement, which appeared in Hebrew media. “We are broken and in pain. We demand answers from our country about our beloved Rom.”
The family’s statement said military and government leaders have not responded to their messages or updated them, and that “no one knows where Rom is. Neither the IDF nor Islamic Jihad knows anything. The only thing we were ever told is that he is being held alone.”
It also criticized politicians for “placing territory before hostages.” And it singled out recent comments by Orit Strock, the minister of national missions and settlements, who suggested that the IDF shouldn’t avoid fighting in areas where hostages are being held.
The previous day, after news emerged of IDF troops entering Deir al-Balah, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents relatives of most of the captives, said it was “shocked and alarmed” by the maneuver and called on the government to explain it.
“The families demand that the prime minister, defense minister, chief of staff, and IDF spokesperson appear before them and the Israeli public this evening to clearly explain why the offensive in the Deir al-Balah area does not put the hostages at serious risk,” said the group. “The people of Israel will not forgive anyone who knowingly endangered the hostages — both the living and the deceased.”
The fighting in Deir al-Balah commenced as Israel and Hamas continue discussions in Qatar over a 60-day ceasefire. Under the terms of the reported deal, roughly half of the hostages, living and dead, would be released during the truce. Hamas has been slow in responding to Israeli terms, reportedly because of difficulties reaching its leaders in Gaza.