Israeli mayor warns 'lust for revenge, blood and destruction' has not helped captives in Gaza

An Israeli mayor has warned that the "lust for revenge, blood and destruction" has not returned captives held in Gaza, living or dead, to their families.

Amir Kochavi, mayor of Hod Hasharon, was speaking at a ceremony on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day where he said Jews must "not remain silent in the face of atrocities committed against people of other nationalities in the world, even if they are committed in our name."

"Jewish morality dictates 'never again' not only to us, but to all peoples as a moral and ethical imperative of a just and healthy society," he said.

"59 brothers and sisters are still held hostage in Gaza, their 'never again' still continues. The lust for revenge, blood and destruction has not returned the dead to us, nor the living."