Israel vows to continue ‘military pressure’ in Gaza despite calls for an agreement on hostages

Israel carried out new airstrikes on Gaza on Sunday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to continue "military pressure" despite facing increasing pressure for negotiations to release hostages held by Hamas.

Families of the hostages, still held since the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) attacked southern Israel on October 7, took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday, urging the Israeli government to devise an immediate plan for their release. This followed the Israeli military's announcement that three of them were killed "by mistake" during an operation within the territory.

During Saturday's demonstration, Noam Perry, daughter of hostage Haim Perry, stated, "All we receive is more bodies of hostages."

She added, "Our demand is not a battle; it's a demand raised by anyone who has lost their father. Take us into consideration and propose a negotiation plan now."

According to Israeli authorities, 129 people are still held in the strip.

On Friday, the Israeli military announced that its forces had "accidentally" killed three hostages in Gaza, believing them to pose a "threat." This sparked protests in Tel Aviv. In the initial investigation, the military confirmed that the three men, in their twenties, waved a white flag and spoke in Hebrew.

Nevertheless, Netanyahu reiterated on Saturday his commitment to military pressure on Hamas. During a press conference, he stated, "Despite all the deep sorrow (regarding the three hostages), I want to make something clear: military pressure is necessary to bring back the hostages and ensure victory over our enemies."

AFP