Although he assured that rescuing the 59 hostages that are missing is a very important objective, he complemented that in every war there is a “supreme objective”, which in this case is to defeat the enemies of the state of Israel.
(CNN) – Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahusaid Thursday to defeat the enemies of Israel It is more important than ensuring the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza.
Although the prime minister acknowledged that releasing the remaining 59 hostages is a “very important objective,” described Israel’s struggle against his enemies as the “supreme objective” of war.
“We have many goals in this war. We want to recover all our hostages,” said Netanyahu. “It is a very important goal. In war, there is a supreme objective. And that supreme objective is the victory over our enemies. And that is what we will achieve.”
Netanyahu’s statements, made on Israel’s independence day, mark the first time the prime minister explicitly describes the repatriation of hostages as a secondary objective of war. Previously, the defeat of Hamas and the liberation of hostages as the main objectives of the Israel War in Gaza had described.
His comments caused a negative reaction by the representatives of the families of the hostages.
“Prime Minister, the return of the hostages is not ‘less’ important; it is the supreme objective that must guide the government of Israel,” said the forum of hostages and missing families in a statement. “The families of the hostages are worried.”
Protesters and relatives of the hostages hold a banner and posters during a demonstration, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on April 6. YAEL GUISKY ABAS/SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET/GETTY IMAGES.
Netanyahu’s comments disagree with the majority of Israeli public, who overwhelmingly supports an agreement to free all hostages and end the war in Gaza, according to recent opinion surveys.
But this places the prime minister in the company of the Minister of Finance of the extreme right of Israel, Bezalel Smotrich, who recently made similar comments.
“We must tell the truth: recovering hostages is not the most important objective. It is, of course, an important goal,” Smotrich said last week. “But whoever wants to destroy Hamas and eliminate the possibility of another October 7 must understand that in Gaza there can be no situation in which Hamas remains present and intact.”
Members of the Netanyahu ruling coalition have been pressing the prime minister to continue the fight. Senior Israeli officials have not been warning that the Army will intensify its operations in Gaza if a fire in high fire with Hamas is not reached.
A source familiar with the matter told CNN That Netanyahu will meet with senior defense officials on Friday while Israel prepares to expand war.
Israel states that his bombing of Gaza, added to a total blockade of two months, is an attempt to press Hamas to make concessions in the negotiations of Alto El Fuego. Israel has promised to destroy Hamas and has declared that he cannot continue to rule the enclave.
Increases the pressure on Netanyahu
This is the second time this week that Netanyahu faces criticism from the families of the hostages. On Monday, his wife Sara was heard for a microphone that “less” of 24 hostages are still alive in Gaza. The comment outraged families and caused clarity demands about what the Government knows about the fate of their loved ones, as well as questions about why Prime Minister’s wife has sensitive information about their loved ones they don’t know.
“They sowed an indescribable panic in the hearts of the families of the hostages, families who already lived in an agonizing uncertainty,” the forum said in a statement. “If there is information or new information about the condition of our loved ones, we demand their complete dissemination.”
Israel has publicly declared in recent weeks that he believes that up to 24 of the remaining 59 hostages are still alive. Sara Netanyahu’s statement seems to indicate that the government could have information that some of the 24 hostages have died.
Israeli officials declared CNN Last week there were “serious concerns” about three of the hostages, but they did not clarify whether Israel was certain of his death. For months, Israeli officials used the same language to refer to the Hostages Shiri Bibas and their two children, whose bodies were returned in the last high fire.
The pressure on Netanyahu has also been increasing by military reservists, who have been expressed more and more openly against the war, with several public letters saying that Gaza’s War mainly serves the political and personal interests of officials, not to the country’s security interests.
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