Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said on Friday that fighting in the Gaza Strip will continue if there is no deal on releasing the hostages kidnapped from Israel on October 7, 2023.
“I estimate that in the coming days we will know whether we can reach an agreement for the release of our hostages. If not, the combat will continue without rest,” he said during a visit to troops in Gaza.
“The war continues, and we will adapt it to the changing reality according to our interests.”
According to official Israeli figures, 50 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip, with at least 20 of them confirmed to be alive. Relatives, in particular, fear that the continuation of the war could endanger their loved ones’ lives and worsen their conditions.
On Friday, the Palestinian Islamist Hamas released a new video showing one of the hostages. The man’s sister appealed to the media not to publish the footage until the family gives its consent.
Seeing her brother’s condition was like “a million blows to the heart,” she was quoted as saying by the news portal ynet.
Israel accuses Hamas of engaging in psychological warfare by releasing hostage videos.
The Gaza war was triggered by the unprecedented massacre on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists and other Islamists killed around 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 others from Israel into the Gaza Strip.
Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive. According to the health authority controlled by Hamas, more than 60,000 people in Gaza have been killed since the war’s start. Gaza is now facing the threat of famine, according to UN reports.
