The Israeli PM Netanyahu said the demonstrations were only encouraging Hamas to raise its ransom demands, while vowing to do everything to free the captives
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized protests by the families of hostages in Gaza on Sunday, saying they were helping harden Hamas‘ demands, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Netanyahu said he understood the pain and the frustration of the families, who have been demanding more action and pressure from the government to secure the release of their loved ones, who have been held by the militant group since its October 7 attacks on Israel.
However, he said the protests were only making the situation worse, by giving Hamas the impression that it could extort more concessions and conditions from Israel, such as the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, the lifting of the blockade on Gaza, and the recognition of its authority.
Netanyahu said the protests were also undermining the efforts and the negotiations of the Israeli security and intelligence agencies, who have been working tirelessly and discreetly to locate and rescue the hostages, and to prevent further attacks and kidnappings.
Netanyahu said he was in constant contact and coordination with the relevant authorities and the international mediators, such as Egypt and the UN, who have been trying to broker a deal and a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as well as between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which is the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people, and which has been sidelined and weakened by the war.
Netanyahu said he was committed and determined to do everything in his power and within his responsibility to free the hostages, who are estimated to number around 240, including three Israeli soldiers and two civilians, who were abducted during the Hamas-led rocket barrage on southern Israel, which killed more than 1,200 Israelis, the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
To Restore Peace!
Netanyahu said he was also committed and determined to end the war and to restore the peace and the security to Israel and the region, which have been shattered and threatened by the Hamas aggression and violence, which have killed more than 25,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and displaced nearly 90% of Gaza’s population, according to the UN.
Netanyahu said he was also committed and determined to pursue and punish the Hamas leaders and operatives, who are responsible and accountable for the war crimes and the atrocities they have committed against Israelis and Palestinians alike, and who are hiding and operating in a vast network of tunnels under Gaza, which Israel has been trying to destroy with airstrikes and ground operations.
Netanyahu said he was also committed and determined to support and assist the humanitarian and the development needs and the rights of the Palestinian people, who have been suffering under the Hamas tyranny and oppression, and who deserve and demand a better and brighter future.
Netanyahu said he was also committed and determined to resume and advance the peace talks and the work towards a two-state solution, based on the mutual recognition and the respect of the rights and the aspirations of both peoples, and on the principles and the resolutions of the international law and the UN.
Netanyahu urged the families of the hostages to stop their protests and to trust and cooperate with the government and the state, and to refrain from any action or statement that could jeopardize or complicate the mission and the goal of freeing the hostages and ending the war.
Netanyahu also urged the public and the media to show solidarity and support to the families of the hostages, and to respect and protect their privacy and their dignity.
Netanyahu also urged the international community and the public opinion to show sympathy and understanding to the plight and the predicament of Israel and the hostages, and to pressure and persuade Hamas to stop its attacks and to release the captives.
Netanyahu also expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the U.S. and its allies, who have provided military and economic assistance and support to Israel, as well as humanitarian and development aid to the Palestinians, and who have been coordinating and cooperating with the UN and other agencies and actors to deliver relief and assistance to the victims and the survivors of the war.
Netanyahu also expressed his sorrow and regret for the loss and the suffering caused by the war, and he offered his condolences and his apologies to the innocent and the affected civilians, on both sides.
