Israel Netanyahu on Hamas: "Those who murder hostages don't want a deal"

Following the discovery of the bodies of six hostages in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the Islamist Hamas of systematically torpedoing efforts to reach a ceasefire. "Anyone who murders hostages does not want a deal," Netanyahu said in a video message. He spoke of a "difficult day". "It tears the heart out of the whole people." The score will be settled with the Hamas murderers, he said.

"The fact that Hamas continues to commit atrocities, as it did on October 7, obliges us to do everything we can to prevent them from committing these atrocities again," Netanyahu continued. He added that efforts to free the hostages were ongoing. "Since December, Hamas has refused to engage in real negotiations." He accused Hamas of rejecting several US proposals, while Israel had agreed to them.

The Israeli government would nevertheless continue to make every effort to reach an agreement "that brings back all our hostages and guarantees our security and existence".

Critics in Israel, however, accuse Netanyahu of undermining the efforts to reach a ceasefire, even for domestic political and personal reasons. The security cabinet's decision on Friday night to keep troops on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt has been sharply criticized. It is seen as one of the obstacles to a deal with Hamas, which is demanding Israel's complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

The Gaza war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, with more than 1,200 dead, carried out by terrorists from the Islamist Hamas and other extremist groups on October 7. More than 250 people were also kidnapped. According to an Israeli count, 101 hostages remain in the hands of Hamas.

SDA