Former Hostages Accuse Gal Hirsch of Silencing Criticism of Netanyahu

Tensions have erupted between former hostages, their families, and Gal Hirsch, the Israeli government's coordinator for hostages and missing persons, as accusations emerge that he used his role to intimidate victims into silence particularly when it came to criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a scathing public letter issued by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum on Sunday, Hirsch was accused of threatening families not to speak out against the prime minister. The letter, signed by prominent relatives of both surviving and fallen hostages, charged that Hirsch “abused his position” and failed in his primary responsibility: to bring the captives home.

“Because of you,” the letter reads, “the surviving hostages suffered prolonged tortures.” It further claims Hirsch played a role in the death of 46 hostages who “could have returned alive” but died in captivity due to Hamas abuse or the absence of medical care.

The families were unsparing in their language, calling for Hirsch to “remain silent forever” and resign immediately. They accused him of morphing into a “political element seeking protection in the party ahead of the elections,” suggesting that his recent media appearances were self-serving and disrespectful.

The letter was signed by key voices from the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, including Einav Zangauker, mother of freed hostage Matan Zangauker; Lishay Miran-Lavi, wife of released hostage Omri Miran; Bar Godard, daughter of fallen hostage Meny Godard; and Ofri Bibas, sister of hostage Yarden Bibas, still held in Gaza.

Adding to the growing chorus of condemnation, former hostage Or Levy, who was freed on February 8, 2025, took to social media to issue his own blistering response to Hirsch’s recent public comments. “Shame on you,” Levy wrote on Facebook. “Who are you to talk about our families? Who are you to say anything to bereaved parents who could have had their children alive, but because of delays in negotiations, they lost them?”

Levy accused Hirsch of distorting the truth and pretending success by including the return of hostages’ bodies in the tally of achievements. “Yes, because bodies count the same,” he wrote bitterly. In one of the most stinging lines, Levy added, “Looking for honesty and goodness in this place is like looking for 251 hostages in Gaza.”

The outcry underscores a deep rift between grieving families and parts of the political establishment, exposing the emotional toll and political fallout from the war in Gaza. As the nation grapples with the painful aftermath of prolonged captivity and loss, calls for accountability have grown louder especially from those who know firsthand what was at stake.

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