What possessed Netanyahu to promise good news about the hostages?

For the families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, every vague promise of progress in negotiations is a fresh wound, a fleeting spark of hope that often fizzles into despair.

And that's exactly what happened yesterday (Monday), when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video stating, “We can announce something soon” regarding the hostages. Political sources later clarified that the statement was merely a “general expression of hope,” with no immediate breakthrough expected, leaving families feeling manipulated and betrayed.

“These reports are destroying the families,” Eli Albag, whose daughter Liri was released after 477 days in captivity, told Ynet on Tuesday. “When Liri was kidnapped, every such report made us happy and hopeful, then suddenly you get a slap in the face that it was all nothing. It’s a state of insanity. It drives the families to anxiety and frustration and it will end badly.” Albag described the toll on families, some of whom are now hospitalized. “Someone already wanted to do something to themselves last night. I know this, and I’m very worried about them. Even I, when I went through it, thought about doing something extreme, not necessarily to myself. It’s an extreme, abnormal situation.”

The families’ outrage stems from what they describe as a pattern of empty rhetoric from Netanyahu, whose words carry immense weight but often lack substance. Yotam Cohen, brother of kidnapped soldier Nimrod Cohen, called the Prime Minister’s remarks “psychological terrorism in every sense.” Speaking to Ynet’s studio, he said, “It’s done in a crude and disgusting way. Whether a deal happens or not, this is despicable ... Nimrod’s mental state is very poor. He doesn’t communicate with others in captivity, barely eats. If there isn’t a comprehensive deal, we won’t get to see those who remain alive.”

Hagai Angrest, father of kidnapped soldier Matan Angrest, echoed this fury. “My son endured a severe lynching, he’s badly injured and in mortal danger,” he told Ynet. “The Prime Minister treats it like theater. This isn’t a joke. He’s playing with human lives instead of taking responsibility.” Angrest also slammed the government’s inaccessibility, noting that Gal Hirsch, Israel’s hostage envoy, dismissed a request for a brief meeting, claiming Netanyahu was “too busy” for a two-minute talk. “In the U.S., I have an open door, and there, freeing the hostages is the top priority. Here, it’s item six on the list,” he said.

Einav Tsangauker, mother of kidnapped Matan Tsangauker, accused Netanyahu of deliberate cruelty. “Netanyahu abuses us day and night while my Matan is alone in a tunnel with muscle atrophy ... This happens so many times that I can’t interpret it as anything but a desire to torment us. Enough, bring my child back already!”

Ruby Chen, father of fallen IDF soldier and kidnapped Itai Chen, expressed similar exasperation: “We’re fed up with statements and expect actions from the Prime Minister that align with Jewish values, like mutual responsibility ... In my view, this is another statement like previous ones that creates a rollercoaster of expectations followed by disappointment, because the Prime Minister isn’t willing to instruct the negotiating team to build a deal for the last hostage.”

Lishi Miran Lavie, wife of kidnapped Omri Miran, took to X to voice her anguish: “Today, tomorrow, what does it matter? You may have time, they don’t! On Wednesday, it will be 600 days, 600 days that Omri, a father, has been in Hamas captivity. Prime Minister, the only announcement you need to make is the date when Omri and the 57 hostages are returned. Tonight, too, Roni and Alma will say ‘good night’ to Omri in a poster. Tonight, too, they’ll ask, ‘When?’”

Amid the families’ despair, a faint glimmer of hope emerged from ongoing negotiations. Senior journalist Amichai Stein of i24NEWS and The Jerusalem Post, speaking on 103fm, offered a cautiously optimistic update: “There is perhaps some reason for optimism. I’m not saying we are on the verge of a breakthrough or a dramatic event, but sources tell me ‘Hamas is showing much more willingness to reach a deal.’”

Stein, however, cautioned against Netanyahu’s vague rhetoric, calling it “an unfortunate choice of words.” He added, “Netanyahu is not Trump, who can throw out any word. When the Prime Minister says there might be some developments today or tomorrow, it carries much more significance.”

In a related development, Bassam Naim, a Hamas Political Bureau member based abroad, claimed the group had accepted a proposal from Witkoff to achieve a ceasefire and IDF withdrawal from Gaza. “Hamas is showing much more willingness to reach a deal,” Naim reportedly said.

For the families, the stakes could not be higher. With 58 hostages still in captivity, each passing day deepens their torment. “As time passes, it only gets worse,” Albag warned. “You can only imagine what a family goes through when their loved one has been there for 600 days, living between hope and despair. Psychologists and psychiatrists don’t always help.”

As Israel navigates this delicate moment, the families’ plea is clear: less rhetoric, more results. For them, the clock is ticking, and hope is a luxury they can no longer afford.