Omer Dostri, spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressed reports today (Wednesday) claiming that the terrorists who murdered the Fogel family would be released as part of the upcoming hostage deal. Dostri firmly dismissed the claims as “fake news” in a post on his X account (formerly Twitter).
“If the reports I’ve been receiving this morning about the potential release of the murderers of my sister Ruth Fogel z”l and her family are true, then Israel has officially gone mad. Madness cannot be corrected with more madness,” wrote Elihai Ben-Yishai, brother of Ruth Fogel, the mother tragically killed in the 2011 terror attack.
Prime Minister’s Office: Fogel Family Murderers Will Not Be Freed
The post sparked outrage online, with numerous users expressing their anger. One commenter wrote, “How did we reach such insanity?” Another added, “The murderers of the Fogel family on their way out? Woe to us if this is true. Releasing terrorists as a reward for extortion is a despicable method.”
In response to the uproar, Dostri clarified unequivocally: “This is fake news.”
Background: The Fogel Family Massacre
The Fogel family massacre occurred on Friday night, March 11, 2011, in the settlement of Itamar. Two Palestinian terrorists from the village of Awarta infiltrated the community and brutally murdered parents Ehud and Ruth and three of their children—Yoav, Elad, and Hadas—using knives and firearms.
The perpetrators, Hakim Mazen Awad and Amjad Mohammed Awad, aged 18 and 19 at the time, were captured a month later. Both were sentenced by a military court to approximately 130 years in prison each.
Public Reaction and Ongoing Hostage Negotiations
This controversy arises amid tense negotiations over a potential hostage deal with Hamas. The government is expected to finalize the terms in the coming days. The Fogel family’s case serves as a somber reminder of the difficult balance between humanitarian efforts and national security.
