Pressure mounted on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure a hostage deal with Hamas, as US President Joe Biden accused him of insufficient efforts following the death of six more captives.
Nearly 11 months into the Gaza conflict, which began with Hamas’s 7 October raid on southern Israel, both sides exchanged fresh threats after Israeli forces recovered the bodies of six hostages from an underground tunnel in southern Gaza.
Netanyahu, who publicly apologised for “not bringing back alive” the six hostages, accused Hamas of “executing” them with “a bullet to the neck” and vowed severe consequences for the Palestinian Islamist group.
Hamas warned that remaining hostages would be returned “in coffins” if Israel persisted with military pressure “instead of reaching a deal”. A Hamas military spokesman claimed the hostages were “killed by Israeli fire”.
The hostages were among those abducted during the October raid, which prompted extensive Israeli retaliation, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and widespread destruction in Gaza.
Protests in Israel intensified, with demonstrations in various cities, a strike disrupting operations at Ben Gurion Airport, and increasing calls for Netanyahu’s resignation.
At the funeral of Israeli-American Hersch Goldberg-Polin, 23, Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed his devastation that “we could not bring him back home”.
Despite international pressure and regional escalation concerns, negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release remain deadlocked, with both sides blaming each other.
Netanyahu reiterated his stance on maintaining Israeli control of the Gaza-Egypt border corridor, a key obstacle in indirect negotiations.
The US, Israel’s primary ally, increased pressure on Netanyahu. Biden responded “no” when asked if he thought Netanyahu was “doing enough” to secure a hostage deal, expressing outrage over the killings and emphasising Hamas’s accountability.
The British government announced the suspension of some military export licences to Israel, citing potential international law violations in Gaza. Israeli government ministers expressed “disappointment” over the decision.
The health ministry in Gaza reports at least 40,786 deaths in Gaza due to Israeli military operations. The UN states that the majority of victims are women and children.
According to an AFP tally based on official data, 1,205 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the October 7 Hamas raid on southern Israel. Of the 251 people abducted, 97 remain in Gaza, with 33 declared dead by the Israeli army.
Read more:
