Shillong, November 16: Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant emphasized that intensifying military pressure on Hamas is the sole means to secure the release of hostages captured during the large-scale assault on October 7.
As per IANS, as per Israeli authorities, 238 individuals, including Israelis and foreigners, are currently held captive in Gaza, with reports suggesting around 30 of them are children.
Throughout the ongoing conflict, Hamas has released four civilian hostages, and an Israeli female soldier was successfully rescued by Israeli forces. Gallant, in a statement on Thursday morning, affirmed the continued military efforts to target the terrorist group and dismantle its command centers.
The Defense Minister’s remarks followed media speculations about a potential prisoner swap, with reports suggesting Hamas’s willingness to release 50 hostages in exchange for Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons. Responding to these reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the public to rely on official government announcements and not succumb to rumors.
Recent Israeli sources confirmed the death of a soldier captured by Hamas on Tuesday, with the terrorist group claiming she was among the 57 hostages killed in ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. The overall death toll in Israel, as of Thursday morning, reached 1,200, encompassing both Israelis and foreign nationals. Among the identified fatalities, 859 were civilians and police officers, including 33 children.
The situation remains fluid, with diplomatic efforts and military actions unfolding in the quest for the safe release of hostages amid escalating tensions.