Netanyahu expresses remorse following the fatalities of Hamas captives in Gaza conflict.
In the ongoing peace talks with Hamas, Netanyahu seems unwilling to cede ground. He emphasizes the necessity for Israel to keep a strong grip on the border region between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, to prevent any escaping hostages from the Gaza Strip.
Israel's retreat from the so-called Philadelphi Corridor is a major sticking point in these talks. The objective isn't just a truce in Palestinian territories but also the liberation of all remaining hostages taken from Israel and transported to the Gaza Strip. Egypt, Qatar, and the USA have been advocating for this agreement for quite some time.
Several hostage bodies were discovered in a Rafah tunnel in the Gaza Strip's southern region on Saturday. As per the Israeli Health Ministry, the six individuals - four men and two women - were reportedly shot by Hamas militants at close range, around 48 to 72 hours before the postmortem examination on Sunday.
Mass protests took place in Israel on Sunday night, demanding the release of the remaining hostages. A nationwide strike was organized in various cities and industries on Monday, until a court order intervened at the request of the far-right Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Prior to Netanyahu, Israeli President Isaac Herzog had already expressed regret for the hostages' deaths on behalf of the government. He stated, "I apologize on behalf of the State of Israel for our inability to safeguard you from this catastrophe, for our failure to bring you back safe and sound." Herzog spoke at the Monday funeral of US-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin in Jerusalem, in the presence of thousands of mourners.
Following the Hamas assault on numerous Israeli locations on October 7, Hamas attackers killed 1205 people and took 251 hostages to the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli reports. Over eleven months later, 97 hostages still remain in Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups' custody, with 33 believed to be deceased.
In retaliation to the Hamas attack, Israel has been conducting extensive military operations in the Gaza Strip. Hamas claims, although unverifiable, that over 40,700 individuals have perished since October.
The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, has been actively pushing for an agreement in the peace talks, focusing on Israel's retreat from the Philadelphi Corridor and the release of all hostages taken from the United States of America and held in the Gaza Strip. Despite the ongoing discussions, netting all the remaining hostages remains a significant challenge.
