Mothers of Gaza hostages fear Israeli offensive will endanger their sons

By Emma Farge

GENEVA (Reuters) -Mothers of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, including one who appeared emaciated in a recent Hamas video, voiced fears on Tuesday that a planned Israeli offensive could further endanger their sons' lives due to the risk of reprisals.

Israel plans a much-criticised new Gaza offensive to take control of Gaza City in the almost two-year-old war against Palestinian militant group Hamas. Bombardment of the city is underway but the timing of the full offensive is uncertain and efforts to salvage a ceasefire continue.

"When I heard that our government intends to extend the war in Gaza, I as a mother am afraid, because we know that Hamas gives commands...to kill the hostages whenever (our military) is getting close to them," said Viki Cohen, the mother of Nimrod Cohen, an Israeli soldier who was captured by Hamas during the deadly Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attacks.

Cohen, who is in Geneva alongside other hostages' mothers to appeal to the International Committee of the Red Cross to help them, called instead for a deal for their release.

"We must do everything to take them out from there," she said, holding up a photo of her now 21-year-old son, with his two previous ages since his captivity crossed out.

Galia David, the mother of Evyatar David who appeared skeleton-like in a Hamas video this month where he was seen digging what he described as his own grave, said she was "really afraid" ahead of the offensive.

"We know from hostages who were released that there are hard stories, that they are even more evil with them when there is fighting," she told reporters.

She said she also worries that her son could die of starvation within days - a fear shared by Cohen's mother.

Malnutrition rates and hunger-related deaths are rising in Gaza, humanitarian groups say, amid Israeli restrictions on aid. Israel denies responsibility for spreading hunger in Gaza, accusing Hamas of stealing aid, which Hamas denies.

Of the original 251 hostages captured by Hamas, around 50 hostages remain in Gaza, of whom about 20 are thought to still be alive. Hamas has repeatedly denied abuse of the hostages and said Israel is starving the whole population in Gaza, including the hostages and their captors.

(Reporting by Emma FargeEditing by Alexandra Hudson)