Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he has directed the military to increase pressure on Hamas following the militant group’s rejection of an Israeli proposal for a temporary truce. Instead, Hamas is demanding a comprehensive deal to conclude the war in exchange for the release of hostages.
During a late-night televised address, Mr. Netanyahu stated that although war comes at a significant cost, Israel has “no choice but to continue fighting for our very existence, until victory.”
According to Gaza’s civil defense agency, Israeli air strikes since dawn have resulted in the deaths of at least 25 individuals across Gaza, including women and children.
In a subsequent statement, the agency reported that five people were killed in an Israeli drone strike targeting a group of civilians in eastern Rafah.
The cumulative death toll in the Gaza conflict has reached 51,201, with the majority being civilians, as per the ministry’s figures, which are considered reliable by the UN.
The conflict erupted following Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which led to the loss of 1,218 lives on the Israeli side, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli reports.
During this assault, Palestinian militants abducted 251 individuals, 58 of whom remain hostage in Gaza, including 34 that the military claims are deceased.
Egyptian mediators are striving to restore the ceasefire that Israel abandoned last month after attempting to extend a temporary truce that allowed for the release of 38 hostages.
Hamas has stated that it will only release the remaining hostages as part of a deal that ends the ongoing war.
Recently, Hamas claimed it had recovered the body of a guard killed in an Israeli airstrike who had been holding Edan Alexander, an Israeli dual national soldier thought to be the last US citizen still alive in Gaza.
According to Hamas, Mr. Alexander’s fate remains uncertain.
Varda Ben Baruch is seen holding photos of her grandson Edan Alexander as she walks among Israeli soldiers during a rally organized by families of hostages in Gaza at Nir Oz, Israel.
US President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, stated in March that securing Mr. Alexander’s release, who is a 21-year-old New Jersey native serving in the Israeli army at the time of his capture during the attacks on 7 October 2023, is a “top priority.”
His release was a focal point of discussions between Hamas leaders and US negotiator Adam Boehler last month.
On Tuesday, Hamas reported that it had lost contact with the militants holding Mr. Alexander after their location was struck in an Israeli offensive.
A spokesperson for the US State Department declined to comment on Mr. Alexander’s status but emphasized that Hamas must immediately release him and all remaining hostages, asserting that the militant group “bears sole responsibility for the war, and for the renewal of hostilities.”
Family members are seen carrying the body of an individual who was killed in an Israeli attack on Gaza City.
Since renewing its offensive, Israel has captured large areas of Gaza and ordered the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents, a move Palestinians fear could lead to the permanent depopulation of vast territories.
Yesterday, Hamas released an undated and edited video of Israeli hostage Elkana Bohbot. Over the course of the conflict, Hamas has issued several videos showing hostages pleading for release. Israeli officials have previously dismissed such videos as propaganda.
Following the video’s release, Mr. Bohbot’s family expressed in a statement that they were “deeply shocked and devastated,” voicing concerns over his mental and physical well-being.
“How much longer will he be expected to wait and ‘stay strong’?” the family inquired, urging for the safe return of all 59 hostages still held in Gaza.
