Einav Zangauker, mother of Hamas-held hostage Matan Zangauker, received a "sign of life" from her son, The Jerusalem Post confirmed on Friday.
"What I can tell you and the audience this morning is that following the release of Edan Alexander, we received a sign of life from Matan. Matan is still alive," Ynet cited Einav as saying. Edan Alexander and Matan Zangauker were reportedly held hostage together.
"Since Edan's return, I have been seeing the bombings in the Gaza Strip and have not been able to close my eyes. The military pressure has killed the hostages. The only way to return my Matan and all the hostages is through a comprehensive agreement and an end to the war. Netanyahu is dragging us into an endless political war," she reportedly added.
Zangauker has been an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the hostage crisis began.
In April, she published a video in which she sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his conduct in the ongoing hostage deal negotiations.
During the video, she stated that "If Matan is abandoned to die alone in the tunnel, let all of Israel know that the prime minister deliberately decided to impose a death sentence on a citizen who was kidnapped from his home in his pajamas, only out of personal vengeance against his family."
She stressed that the prime minister is “well aware of Matan’s medical condition and the conditions under which he is being held," and that “He [Matan] is shackled with heavy chains, unable to even stand in the low tunnel where he is kept. He is going through the Holocaust.”
'Netanyahu decided to murder my child' if he is left alone
On Monday, following the announcement of Alexander's return, she repeated her claims, stating: "If Matan is left alone in the tunnel, Netanyahu decided to murder my child."
This is a developing story.