The relatives of some of the German citizens who are being held hostage by the Islamist militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip have met with the president of the German parliament, Bärbel Bas, and asked for more support from the German government in securing their release.
The families said they were running out of time and feared for the lives of their loved ones, who were abducted by Hamas in its attacks on southern Israel on October 7. They also expressed frustration with Germany’s stance on the conflict, which they said was too biased towards Israel.
“We really expect Germany not only to stand on Israel’s side and take our side but to actively act and take a role in this war,” said Roni Roman, a relative of two hostages, after the meeting. She added that Germany should provide immediate humanitarian aid to ensure that the hostages can receive medical care.
Roman said they had not received any signs of life from the hostages for several weeks and urged Germany to bring them back home as soon as possible. “We are running out of time,” she said.
According to Israel’s military, 203 people were kidnapped by Hamas and taken to Gaza in its raids on southern Israel. Among them are several German citizens, some of whom have dual Israeli-German nationality.
Hamas claims that nearly two dozen of the hostages have been killed by Israeli airstrikes on the coastal enclave, which have intensified since October 7.
The German Foreign Ministry has confirmed that there are eight cases of German citizens being held hostage in Gaza and that the total number is likely “a small double-digit number.” It said it was working with all relevant partners to secure their release.
Germany considers Hamas, which controls Gaza, a terrorist organization, as do the European Union and the United States. Germany has also condemned Hamas’ attacks on Israel and called for an end to the violence.