Netanyahu Open to Temporary Ceasefire for Hostage Release in Gaza

If there is an opportunity for a temporary ceasefire to free the hostages – and I stress: temporary – we will be ready, he says at a press conference broadcast on TV. According to Netanyahu, Israel is certain that at least 20 people from the terrorist-stamped Hamas hostages are alive. He says that Israel has managed to bring home 148 people alive through various exchanges and releases. The statements come after Israel has stepped up its offensive in Gaza in recent days.

When the military campaign is over, the entire Gaza Strip will be under Israeli control and Hamas will be completely defeated, says Netanyahu. The Prime Minister also comments on the humanitarian situation and the international pressure to allow more emergency aid into Gaza.

To maintain our operational freedom and to ensure that our closest allies can continue to support us, we must avoid a humanitarian crisis, he says. Netanyahu repeats Israel's goals with the war: defeat Hamas, free the hostages, and chart a new course for Gaza.

This will not take another year and a half, I promise. I will not reveal our plans or timeline, but we are firmly determined to complete this. In total, Hamas took hostages during the terrorist attacks on 7 October. Of the 58 who are still in Gaza, Israel's military thinks that more than 30 are no longer alive.