Father of Israeli Hostage Reveals Secret Efforts and Criticizes Netanyahu Amid Gaza Conflict

Eli Albag, father of Liri Albag who was kidnapped on October 7 and later released from captivity in Gaza, disclosed new details about his desperate attempts to obtain information about his daughter while she was held by Hamas. In an interview on Sunday with 103FM, he revealed that he paid businessman Tzvika Nave one million shekels to try to secure a foreign passport for Liri, but the effort failed and Nave returned the full amount. Albag also said he reached out to Palestinian Authority contacts, including some he described as "bad people," in hopes of learning about his daughter's condition. He recounted receiving cautious but eventually accurate information, including a report that Liri was unharmed except for a nail injury, which was confirmed after her release.

Albag emphasized his relentless determination to bring his daughter home, stating, "We turned every stone and spared no effort. I do not regret it for a moment." Shifting to politics, he expressed support for Gadi Eisenkot as a candidate for prime minister, praising him as a clean and worthy leader focused on Israel's future. Albag sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of allowing deep societal divisions to fester and warning that many casualties would be attributed to Netanyahu's leadership. He condemned the government and security chiefs for failing to prevent the October 7 attacks that resulted in over 1,200 deaths, stating, "This is reality. Netanyahu is responsible, as are the military chief, intelligence, and Shin Bet heads, but only one has been held accountable so far."