In a recent development, a senior Hamas official has declared that the approximately 130 Israeli hostages held by the group will not be released.
This statement came in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to accept the conditions set by Hamas to end the ongoing conflict.
During a video address, Netanyahu stated, "In exchange for the release of our hostages, Hamas demands the end of the war, the withdrawal of our forces from Gaza, the release of all the murderers and rapists, and leaving Hamas intact. I reject outright the terms of surrender of the monsters of Hamas."
Sami Abu Zuhri, a high-ranking Hamas official, retorted that Netanyahu's refusal to halt the military offensive in the region "means there is no chance for the return of the [Israeli] captives," who were taken during the group's terror attack on October 7.
A deal mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt in late November saw the release of over 100 of the estimated 240 hostages taken by Hamas during the October attack. In return, 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons were freed.
However, Netanyahu is under mounting pressure to secure the release of the remaining 136 hostages in Gaza. Families of the hostages staged a protest outside his residence on Sunday, demanding immediate action.
"We need the government to now fix the problem that they have created and get these hostages home immediately," said Jon Polin, father of one of the hostages, as reported by Reuters.
The Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum urged the prime minister to "clearly state that we will not abandon civilians, soldiers and others kidnapped in the October debacle. We must advance the deal now. If the prime minister decides to sacrifice the hostages, he should show leadership and honestly share his position with the Israeli public," the group stated.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu has taken a firmer stance on Palestinian statehood. "I will not compromise on full Israeli security control of all territory west of the Jordan River," he declared.
On Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden suggested a potential solution for the creation of an independent Palestinian state, which would involve a non-militarized government. However, Netanyahu later appeared to reject Biden's remarks, reiterating his insistence on "full Israeli security control over all the territory west of Jordan." He claimed that his steadfastness had prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state that would pose an existential threat to Israel.
On Sunday, Gaza's health ministry reported that the war has resulted in the deaths of 25,000 Palestinians, with women and children making up about two-thirds of the casualties, according to the United Nations.
UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres described the scale of civilian deaths as "heartbreaking and utterly unacceptable," stating that "Israel's military operations have spread mass destruction and killed civilians on a scale unprecedented during my time as secretary general."
U.S. intelligence officials informed The Wall Street Journal that Israel had only killed about 20% to 30% of Hamas' estimated 25,000 to 30,000 militants, suggesting that IDF officials had exaggerated enemy casualties during the more than three-month war.
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