2024-02-11 20:17:00
Netanyahu believes there are enough hostages alive to ‘justify the kind of efforts’ Israel is carrying out
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he believes there are enough hostages alive in Gaza to “justify the kind of efforts” Israel is making to secure their release.
“I am committed to removing them, to making every effort possible. And that requires pressure, pressure has worked and pressure will work once more,” Netanyahu told ABC News in an interview this Sunday.
Netanyahu was asked regarding the Forum of Families of Hostages and Missing Persons’ open letter that questioned Israel’s approach to ongoing negotiations with Hamas and its commitment to ensuring the release of the hostages.
“I’m not sure that anyone can put themselves in the shoes of the families, but neither can the families put themselves in the shoes of the decision makers,” Netanyahu said. “They are two different things. They touch our hearts, they touch my heart, but I am also responsible for the security of the people of Israel,” he added.
What we know regarding the hostages: There are currently 136 hostages held in Gaza, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office. Of them, 132 are from the October 7 attack. 103 of those hostages are believed to be alive, while 29 died.
Hamas is holding most of the hostages, but some are believed to be held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and possibly smaller groups or individuals in Gaza.
Call with Biden: During a call with US President Joe Biden this Sunday, Netanyahu spoke at length regarding the hostage negotiations, according to a senior US administration official. The official warned that although a framework for an agreement has been established, there are still gaps.
CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez and MJ Lee contributed to this report
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