True victory hinges on return of Gaza captives, says Israeli President Herzog
Israeli Defense Minister vows military action for release of Israeli captives in Gaza amid ongoing negotiations for a cease-fire
Israeli President Isaac Herzog emphasized that true victory would not be achieved until Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip were brought home speaking at a ceremony held at a military memorial cemetery in West Jerusalem.
“We are resolute in our determination to emerge victorious from this conflict. Our victory will remain incomplete until all Israeli captives, both living and deceased, are returned from Gaza,” President Herzog asserted.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant echoed similar sentiments at the same ceremony, arguing that military action was necessary not only for strategic success but also to secure the release of Israeli captives in Gaza through both military operations and negotiation channels.
Gallant assured that all available methods, including ongoing “political negotiations,” would be utilized by the security apparatus to bring back the captives from Gaza.
He outlined their objectives as twofold: dismantling Hamas both militarily and administratively and securing the release of Israeli captives in Gaza.
Tension escalates, and Israel ‘definitely’ attacks Rafah
Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz emphasized the paramount importance of the issue of Israeli captives, labeling it as the “top priority” for the ministry.
“While we are committed to securing the release of the captives, we will not entertain any notions of ending the conflict prematurely,” he declared.
Regarding plans to attack Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where approximately 1.5 million displaced Palestinians reside, Katz asserted that they would “definitely” attack Rafah, stating that they could not win without doing so.
Negotiations for a cease-fire and mutual prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel are expected to continue in Doha.
According to Israeli authorities, there are up to 136 Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip, some alive and some deceased. Hamas’s armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, had announced that the number of Israeli captives killed in Israel’s attacks on Gaza exceeded 70.
While Hamas has proposed a new cease-fire and mutual prisoner exchange, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced that a delegation would be sent to Doha despite stating that Hamas’s proposal still contained “unreasonable demands.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated his intention to target Rafah, home to 1.5 million Palestinians in the south of Gaza.
The primary point of contention between Hamas and Israel appears to revolve around Hamas’s insistence on a “permanent ceasefire” versus Israel’s preference for a “temporary cease-fire with the option to resume hostilities.”
Hamas reportedly seeks the return of forcibly displaced Palestinians to the heavily damaged northern Gaza, a demand that Israel opposes.
Source: Newsroom
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