Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview released Sunday that “enough” of the Israeli hostages captured by Hamas in its October 7 onslaught are still alive to justify Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Netanyahu told ABC’s This Week program that “enough” hostages are alive in Hamas territory “to warrant the kind of efforts that we’re doing.”
“We’re going to try to do our best to get all those who are alive back and, frankly, also the bodies of the dead,” he added.
Netanyahu, after noting that one Palestinian civilian has been killed for every Hamas terrorist, assured that the Israeli military is trying to minimize civilian casualties. The Israeli Defense Forces will provide “safe passage for the civilian population” before an upcoming attack in southern Gaza. That ground assault in Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city, has strategic importance for destroying Hamas, Netanyahu said.
“Victory is within reach,” Netanyahu said. “We’re going to do it. We’re going to get the remaining Hamas terrorist battalions and Rafah, which is the last bastion, but we’re going to do it.”
“We are working out a detailed plan to do so,” Netanyahu added. “We’re not, we’re not cavalier about this.”
Netanyahu stated that Hamas is intent on keeping civilians in harm’s way, in addition to repeating the October 7 massacre.
“Those who say that, under no circumstances, should we enter Rafah, are basically saying, ‘lose the war. Keep Hamas there,’” Netanyahu said.
Israeli military officials said last week that an estimated one-fifth of the 136 Israeli hostages that Hamas holds captive in Gaza are dead. The Israeli military has declared at least 31 of the 136 hostages dead, according to intelligence leaked to the New York Times.
U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken visited Cairo last week to negotiate the possibility of a cease-fire deal with Egyptian officials that could prompt the release of the rest of the hostages.
Although “efforts to free the hostages are continuing at all times,” Israel will not “agree to every deal, and not at any price,” Netanyahu previously said.
Hamas demands the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from Gaza as a condition for freeing the hostages and has pressed Israel to release thousands of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the Israeli civilians.
Netanyahu affirmed in the ABC appearance that Israel’s main objective is to obliterate Hamas.